RockmanEXE: Breach
by lost-yet-found
Summary: There is a difference between time and an alternate universe. You try to reach out to one, and your world will crumble. But the other will only begin another anew. At least, that's how this story goes.
1. Time of Blood

**Chapter One: The Clock Turns Now**

-

Meijin Eguchi stared at the clipboard Manabe had just handed him two minutes ago.

Hikari Netto was sleeping on the couch beside him, snoring away. Meijin could hear his Navi, Rockman.EXE, trying to wake him up from the PET on the glass table. Netto was much more interesting than the clipboard, with pages and pages of typed words and numbers. The scientist constantly glanced at the two objects of his attention: Netto, clipboard, Netto, clipboard.

"I'd look at it, it's my report."

Meijin nearly fell off the couch, upon the TV screen was Laika. Snow could be seen in the background, it looked like a blizzard.

"Oh, this is yours." Meijin sighed, it was his day off. He should be sleeping in, not doing extra work.

"Yes. You told me to write a report on the happenings in Sharo." Laika raised an eyebrow. Meijin peered back down at the paper.

"How long did I say it was supposed to be?"

"You never gave a limit."

"Ah." Next time, he'd limit the pages to three. Not ten.

"So how's it going over there, anyway?"

Laika glanced behind him, a few officers ran by holding up tarps that were flapping ferociously in the wind. "Not much progress," he replied, "this blizzard blew in exactly an hour and forty-five minutes ago. It wasn't predicted so we were unprepared, we'll be lost of communication for a few hours, but that will be all."

Meijin nodded, gazing at the _still_ sleeping boy beside him. He was like a rock, a loud, snoring rock.

"Maybe you should wake him." Laika suggested after a moment, turning his attention to Netto as well.

"Yes, please." They could hear Rockman's muffled remark, and Meijin reached down to pick him up. Rockman was standing with his arms crossed, green eyes displaying his annoyance.

"We're supposed to meet up with Meiru-chan today." Rockman explained.

Meijin could just imagine the pink haired girl, indignant and upset. Netto really had no tact.

"Well, then, we're just going to have to wake him up!" Meijin loved doing things like this. It made his day so much more bearable. Laika waited, with aloof interest, for what the crazy scientist intended to do. Whatever it was, he just hoped it would stop the boy's insufferable snoring.

But before Meijin could even push himself off the couch, a beeping noise erupted through the speakers and a small icon of a TV popped up on the corner of the screen.

"Oh, sorry Laika, but someone's trying to get a hold of me. I'll read your report and get back to you about it later." Meijin fumbled around for his PET. He'd left it somewhere…

Laika nodded and saluted, the window closed itself and was replaced automatically with the default PET screen.

Meijin managed to find his PET just as the call was about to cancel, as it was programmed to after so many beeps. "Reform, accept transmission."

The little white Navi nodded, performing the task she had been created solely for. Sorting his calls and mail was important, after all.

The icon disappeared, and another window opened. Commissioner Kifune appeared on the screen, features calm and serious.

"Eguchi, I have some urgent news."

The Commissioner was currently staying in Amerope due to the strange occurrences happening in the city. Net Navis were disappearing at a rapid pace; words of worry had stretched out to all countries. Densan City was the most concerned, however. Navi disappearances were starting popup as well, but they were random and few. Enzan Ijuuin had been sent out to investigate this alarming incident. Netto was not active in this; he'd just returned from an assignment elsewhere and was completely exhausted. Meijin did not bother to question the point of it, he was just glad to know the job was done.

"Yes?"

"I was just informed that a scientist, not a very well-known one, is being held captive in his own home on the north side of the city. I have dispatched Enzan." Kifune briefly glanced over at Netto. Rockman, from his PET, listened intently.

"All right, I'll wake him up." Meijin sighed, and Kifune nodded. Communication was promptly terminated.

Luckily for the goggled scientist, he didn't have to lift a finger. Netto awoke not a second later, rubbing at his eyes and not noticing the drool that had begun dripping down the side of his mouth.

"Wah…?" He mumbled groggily. Rockman merely sighed, and Meijin handed the PET to the boy. Netto took it without even a thought. He yawned loudly.

"Good morning. How was your sleep?" The blue Navi questioned tartly.

"Fine," Netto stretched, before blinking aware eyes around the room.

"Well, you've got another assignment, it seems." Meijin quickly stood. Netto craned his neck so he could look up at the man.

"What about it?"

"A scientist is being held prisoner by a group of criminals. The Commissioner wants you on it." Meijin checked his watch. Three thirteen.

Netto, following the scientist's lead, looked to the clock on the wall, it read the same time as Meijin's watch.

"Hey…wasn't I supposed to do something today…?" Netto asked slowly.

"Something like meet Meiru-chan at Syron's Café, maybe?" Rockman pointed out.

It was Meiru's birthday today. Netto, after having been smacked over the head for not remembering, had promised to take her to the new Café that had opened on the north side of Densan City. He'd told her two. It was several minutes passed three.

Netto groaned. He was so dead.

-

It was a nice, clear day in Densan City. The sound of traffic could be heard miles away, people waved to each other on the street while others yelled angrily.

_Nothing can go wrong today_ was what Sakurai Meiru thought as she ambled happily through the crowd. It was her birthday today, her mom had made the best cake, and she'd gotten everything she'd wanted. It had been a perfect day thus far, and now it was time for the icing on the cake.

This was not a date. Meiru had reminded herself while choosing her outfit. Even though Netto had forgotten the date, he'd offered to take her to Syron's Café. He would be late, she knew it, but Meiru was sure he would at least make it; it _was_ her birthday, after all.

She'd eventually picked out a simple white dress with wavy lace at the bottom and the sleeves, a pair of black party shoes, and a white headband to top it off. Her mother commented on how cute she looked, Meiru hoped Netto would notice too.

But as she arrived at the Café a minute early, ordered them a table, and set herself ready to wait, she would have never been prepared for the disappointment.

An hour, a full _hour_, Meiru thought she was going to cry. Her Net Navi, Roll, watched her sadly from the PET and offered once more to contact Rockman. Meiru, again, told her no. She was going home. Netto was such a jerk.

Now she walked aimlessly down the sidewalk, not knowing where she was going, and just continued to mentally berate the boy she had a crush on. Why did she like him anyway? He obviously didn't care. She knew she was being unjust. As a friend, she should be used to Netto's often absences. But, at the moment, she didn't feel like "just a friend". She was upset, Netto had promised her. And he had broken that promise.

The sounds of sirens filled her ears, and she jumped unexpectedly. The world had disappeared around her as she drowned in her furious thoughts, but now it reappeared in many flashes of red lights. Meiru found herself standing in front of what looked like a bad wreck, although instead of a street, policemen hovered around a tall, nearly tipped building.

Police cars were everywhere; there was a distinct panic in the air, though it was properly suppressed. A helicopter swooped through the sky; Meiru gazed at it with a gaping mouth.

"What's wrong, Meiru-chan?" Roll asked. The girl looked down at her PET, which dangled at her side, and quickly brought it to her face.

"I don't know. Do you think you could find out?"

"Maybe…" Roll murmured, bringing up a screen so she could see the scene. She placed her hand beneath her chin in thought.

All this repressed urgency didn't seem to be something they could handle on their own. Calling Glyde or Rockman or even Blues would be a safer bet. She turned her attention back to her friend.

"We shouldn't do anything. I'll alert Glyde," Roll knew this was a more cautious thing to do, as Meiru was probably not in any mood to speak to Netto, "you just stay here, okay?"

Meiru nodded and looked at the scene again. She took a step closer but paused, deciding to heed Roll's words.

"Meiru!" The aforementioned girl turned around just to see a surprised-looking Enzan Ijuuin amongst the large crowd of officers.

"Enzan-kun!" Meiru was relieved to see someone she knew.

"What are you doing here?" He inquired, walking over.

"I just kind of wandered over." Meiru smiled sheepishly, she felt rather silly.

"Well, you should leave. It could get dangerous."

"What's going on here, anyway?"

"Someone's kidnapped a scientist and has him tied up in there somewhere." Enzan jerked his thumb in the direction of the building. Meiru stared it; she hadn't really paid any attention to the structure itself upon arrival.

It was made of brick, long and tall. It was skinny and reached far into the sky, windows—frames painted black and paper of the same color covering up the glass—on every story. The building was odd as it tilted to the right, as if it was a Slinky jumping into an arch.

Meiru blinked, "That's weird."

Enzan nodded, "I'm guessing this scientist was a fanatic."

"Meiru-chan! I've contacted Glyde. He said that Yaito-chan will be coming as soon as she can." Roll reported.

"Oh, thank you, Roll!" Meiru replied quickly, having forgotten that Roll had set out to get Glyde in the first place.

Enzan cocked an eyebrow and she smiled, embarrassed.

"Enzan-sama!" An officer cried, hurrying over, hat askew.

"What is it?"

"The captives have sent a transmission, they're demanding money and something called the 'Eradicate'!" The officer explained hurriedly. Enzan nodded.

"Tell the commander that I'll be there in a minute." The young officer nodded and dashed back whence he came.

"Come on," Enzan jerked his head towards the officer's retreating back, "Netto-kun should be showing up here soon anyway."

And then Meiru was reminded why she was wandering around in the first place. Hikari Netto. The jerk would show up to danger but not a simple outing.

Meiru followed him, bad mood returning, and Enzan moved out of her way slightly. What he said must have triggered something, and he was not in the mood to evoke the girl's ire.

-

Soft, yet cold, alive, yet dead; he was nothing but metal. An empty shell, wrought from human hands, those that had damned him to this Hell. An empty void, lost of feeling, lost of life.

Where were the kind souls who had supposedly taken him in? Where was the boy who'd called him his own, taken care of him, called him his brother? Where was that boy now?

With _them_, he was sure. _They_ were the reason he was here, it was _their_ fault he rotted alone.

Cold, so very cold, like ice; he'd never really felt actual cold. This was different; could he really feel, though? Was it all an illusion?

But what about the boy, he'd been real. He'd felt so real. And that girl; she'd felt real as well.

Something was touching him. Poking at his conscious, something was trying to awake him. He tried to move, squirm away from even colder tendrils.

_**They** damned you, took you to this place. It is **them**; **they** deserve to suffer like you've suffered. Make them die, make them bleed._

Who are you…?

_You remember don't you? When **they** thought you'd gone too far? Remember **them**?_

Remember…?

_Yes, remember._

I…I do remember. _Them_, they left me here. They deserve to suffer like I've suffered.

_I can free you. I can let you destroy **them**._

Free me…

_Yes, free you. They will die._

I want them to die…

_And they will._

-

Time cannot be touched, it reaches out so far that you are lost in its continuum. So many "ifs" and "maybes"; everything you do affects the "could've-s" and the "if only-s". For every step you make, an alternate universe is destroyed and another is created. Only a few actually survive, spinning off into a slightly or very different sense of reality based on events that have occurred in the "true" reality. And now, in the "true" reality of the Rockman Universe, one step was taken that was not supposed to be. Thousands of alternates were destroyed, three still hold steady. The step did not affect two, but the one was thrown into mass chaos. Everything was wrong; it had always been the closest to the "real" one. But now, it was farther away than any other.

People did die.

People not meant to die.

Bonds and friendships were formed that the "real" universe already had claimed.

People did die.

By the wrong hands.


	2. Eradicate

Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate them! Here's the second chapter, the third one may not come for a few days or so, considering that I'm going to a place where there is no internet.

-

**Chapter Two: Shattered Glass**

Hikari Netto found himself wondering why he could never get a break. He'd just returned from a mission, now he was setting out for another. _And_ he'd totally missed out on Meiru's birthday, he wondered if he could make it up to her. Netto then sighed. _Probably not_, Netto grumbled unhappily.

"Netto! You're almost there!" Rockman told him, having been directing Netto to their destination.

Netto nodded though his navi could not see it, he swerved around a corner, passing a long line of shops.

"Good morning, Netto-kun!" Saloma waved. She was standing in front of Miyuki Kuroi's shop, the fortune teller observed from the window.

"Good morning, Saloma-san, Miyuki-san!" Netto waved back, but continued on. This was something important; Enzan would probably kill him if he detoured.

But, then again, when had he ever cared about what Enzan would do?

He skidded to a halt and hurriedly skated back.

"Netto-kun—" Rockman cried, startled.

"What are you doing over here?" Netto asked Saloma as he reached her.

"Oh, just helping Miyuki out with a few things. Why are you in such a hurry?" Saloma smiled.

"Assignment," was Netto's only answer, and Saloma nodded knowingly.

"I'm not one to pry so I think you should hurry along, don't want to be late!" Saloma told him and glanced back as the door opened with a tinkle of a bell. Miyuki walked up to Netto, her crystal ball cradled in her hands.

"Time," she murmured, her eyes boring into his own, "is of the essence. Do you dawdle, or do you avoid?"

Netto blinked and stared at her, confused.

"I'm not avoiding it, I just came to say hello." Netto huffed.

"But it looks that way." Rockman pointed out.

"You too, Rock? Fine, I'm going, I'm going!" The boy cried, spinning around and skating off, his visage but a blur.

Saloma watched until he disappeared around another corner, "Something's wrong." She muttered to herself.

"Time is wrong; Netto and Rockman are in grave danger." Miyuki's smooth, mysterious voice seemed to mix with the breeze as it floated by.

"Danger?" Saloma stared at the fortune teller in surprise.

"There is nothing we can do now; a wrong step has been taken. Time is now trying to fix it, a machine finished that wasn't supposed to be. One has been awakened not meant, all we can do is hope Netto and Rockman will be able to do this on their own." Miyuki murmured and begun making her way back into her shop. Saloma gazed after, wondering what the fortune teller had meant.

She turned back and looked up into the clear blue sky, clasping her hands together.

_Please stay safe, the both of you._

The clock on the wall in Miyuki's shop chimed twice, second hand ticking as it halted at nine.

-

Today was the day. The day when everything would turn out as it should, and he would become filthy rich. His boss would be pleased, and he could finally be promoted, where he would be away from the dweebs he called partners.

Deguchi Goro peered smugly around the severely trashed room, perched on a swivel chair in front of a large, flat screen computer. On the floor beside him was the scientist Mikuro Tadao who lay tied and gagged on his side. In a chair not far off was another man, scraggly and in need of a shower. His knotted brown hair dangled to his chin, and he had his arms crossed over his chest, conversing with his Navi from the grey PET.

"What do you mean they're not doin' anything? We sent the message; they should be draggin' bags of yen out to us by now!" His partner, formally known as Drug, yelled.

Coinman, Drug's cash register-shaped Navi, glanced nervously around his PET. "Ye-yes, well, that is what they are doing, Drug-san."

"Well, shit. What we gonna do, Deguchi?" Drug looked over, and Deguchi frowned. "Where's Mik?" he asked. Drug shrugged, "Dunno, he somewhere in 'ere."

Deguchi sighed, Mik was the newest recruit in their boss's group of followers, and he would repeatedly scurry off to some unknown location without their acknowledgement. Deguchi had told him to buzz off, but not literally.

Mikuro squirmed below him, screaming into the gag.

"Shut up, you bad excuse for a scientist!" The fugitive leaned down and lifted the scientist up by the collar of his lab coat. "I'm going to ask you again, where'd you hide the Eradicate?"

Mikuro's forehead wrinkled and he looked as though he wasn't going to say anything.

"Hmph," Deguchi threw him to the floor, and Mikuro skidded across it, "fine. We'll just have to find it ourselves. Drug, get Mik and tell him to get his ass over here."

Drug did so reluctantly, telling Coinman to contact Mik's Navi, Sliceman. Coinman's data scattered across the screen and disappeared, Drug looked up just to see Deguchi lean back and place his biker boots on a stool across from him.

"The boss is going to be so pleased with me." He grinned gleefully.

"Us," Drug corrected heatedly.

"_Us_, then. The boss is going to be pleased with _us_." But Deguchi couldn't help but say under his breath, "But I'm the one that's going to be promoted."

-

"Do we have all the money?"

"Yes, Enzan-sama, but we still don't know what this 'Eradicate' is. What should we do about that?"

Enzan, Meiru, the just arrived Yaito, and about ten officers huddled around one square-shaped table. Diagrams on graph paper lay scattered across the surface, as though they had been looked at thousands of times. It had been twenty minutes since the transmission demanding money and the mysterious 'Eradicate' had been sent to them. Netto still had not arrived, but that was to be expected, he was late for everything.

"I don't know. Has anyone sent for Dr. Hikari?" Enzan questioned and one officer nodded, "Just a few minutes ago. He should be arriving shortly."

"Good," Enzan nodded to himself and glanced around the room, "I suggest that as soon as we figure out what this 'Eradicate' is, we should send someone in with the money. Officers should be positioned around the whole building in case he or she is in need of backup." All who stood in the room nodded in agreement.

The flap of the tent they had set up for the meeting was yanked open and everyone turned to look. Netto stood there, breathing deeply and panting. "S-Sorry I'm late!" he cried breathlessly.

"Better late than never, I say." Dr. Hikari Yuuichirou appeared behind him, holding up the flap for his son.

"Papa!" Netto smiled up at his father.

Meiru frowned deeply as Netto stood next to her; he looked around the tent, avoiding her eyes.

"All right, now down to business," Yuuichirou pulled out his laptop and placed it on the table, "the suspects are demanding something called the 'Eradicate', am I right?"

Enzan nodded, and the scientist began to type. His fingers moved swiftly, bringing up dozens of windows.

Yaito, Meiru, and Netto peered over the laptop, trying to see what he was doing.

After a few anxious minutes, Yuuichirou looked up, satisfied but frowning nevertheless.

"Well?" Yaito asked him curiously.

"It seems the 'Eradicate' is a failed experiment created by the now retired Mikuro Tadao. The source doesn't go into much clarification on what the machine actually does, but Mikuro explained to the board that it was a first attempt at a time machine. The demonstration was to send a rabbit into the future then bring it back. This did not work, however, and the rabbit ended up dying. Because of this, the man lost his job." Yuuichirou explained.

"A time machine?" Netto's eyes widened.

"But if it was a failed experiment, why would these criminals want it?" Meiru asked.

"Maybe Dr. Mikuro was able to fix it." Rockman suggested from Netto's PET.

"But that's impossible; no one known to mankind has ever been able to create an operational time machine." Enzan pointed out, folding his arms over his chest.

"Even with the technology now, Enzan is correct. But with what has happened, I'm willing to bet that Rockman's right." Yuuichirou shut the laptop and looked around the room.

"Then what should we do?" Meiru asked worriedly.

"Don't worry," Yuuichirou grinned, his glasses flashing in an almost crazed way, "I have a plan."

-

Okimasa Mik jerked his head up and down, trying to see through the black paper that covered the windows. The barely visible red lights were still flashing ominously, Mik giggled. This was so cool! The police were all over the place, he'd never done something so big before!

Mik was only fifteen; the youngest a member could be to join their boss's ranks. He was childish and found chaos hilarious, his old therapist had once called him a "special case", but Mik just thought he was one of a kind.

"Mik-kun, Coinman has a message for you." Sliceman, a cactus-looking Navi, reported from Mik's yellow PET. He had pressed it against the window, and the screen was facing the windowpane so the Navi could not see.

"Oh, what does he want?" Mik pouted, flipping the PET over.

The email icon that had been hovering beside Sliceman on the screen opened, and Coinman appeared.

"Drug-san and Deguchi-san want you back at the lab this instant. They say they have something to discuss." The email ended, closing itself automatically.

Mik sighed, turning to peer out the window once more, and giggled as he made his way up the stairs.

-

"What's taking him so long?" Netto demanded, squirming in his place hidden behind a police car.

"Be patient, Netto! Enzan-kun knows what he's doing." Meiru glanced at the anxious boy and rolled her eyes.

Yuuichirou's plan was simple: leave the money outside, and wait until someone came to claim it. When this happened, they would hold that person at gunpoint. If the plan didn't work, and the criminals demanded that they bring it in, Enzan would be the one to do it, informing them when he needed them.

Netto was resentful, he'd been called out here to help, and yet, here he was, hiding behind a car and not doing anything. Netto grumbled and chewed his lip.

Rockman, however, would be getting all the action along with Roll, Glyde, and Blues. They had been sent into the house's electrical systems, and they were now waiting at the far corner of the systems. The four had been ordered to attack if noticed.

Yaito was still back at the tent, feeling that it was safer there. Netto spotted Enzan's snow white head and watched as he placed the four bags of fake money on the cracked doorstep. He took a step back, waited for a moment, and begun walking back to the pack of police cars. Yuuichirou stood out in the open, unlike most of the officers who also hid behind their vehicles, and waited patiently with his hands on his hips for some sort of reaction.

Enzan stood beside Netto's father and looked up at the oddly shaped building as well. All was quiet, no one made a move. Netto fidgeted restlessly.

-

Inside Dr. Mikuro's computer systems, Sliceman and Coinman appeared five feet away from the four Navis, scanning their surroundings for the intruders.

Blues jerked his head towards the two, and Rockman nodded. He looked back at Roll and Glyde, they nodded as well.

The red Navi shot off like a bullet, jumping into the air behind Coinman and ramming his sword into the Navi's head. The sword made a dent, but that was all and Blues jumped back. Coinman howled, staggering forward, and Sliceman twisted around just as Rockman ran in front and blasted him with his canon.

Rockman and Blues backed away slightly as the two Navis gathered back their bearings.

"So, you are the two who've infiltrated the systems!" Sliceman cried, grinning maniacally and looking quite excited.

"But you two cannot possibly be alone. Viruses!" Coinman called and they did appear; metools and other viruses of the sort gathering ahead of the Navis. They advanced on the place where Glyde and Roll still hid but did not get far as a "Roll Flash!" was heard and five metools were deleted.

Glyde began fighting back as well, using his expensive and rare chips to aid him. Satisfied that they would be fine, Blues and Rockman turned their attentions back to Sliceman and Coinman.

"Well, c'mon. You wanna fight, let's fight!" Sliceman cried, darting forward and throwing out his needles. Rockman dodged them and let out another blast from his canon. Blues began his onslaught as well, Coinman scattered gold coins around the field and Blues dodged them as they exploded on contact.

-

It had been five minutes and still no one came for the bags. Netto frowned and jumped as his PET beeped. He looked down, a malicious looking man materialized onto the screen.

"Hah! You think we'd fall for that! Well, if you did, than you are gravely mistaken. Give us the real money or your Navi," a smaller window appeared beside the man's, and Netto could see Rockman being thrown about, thin needles sticking out of his limbs and torso, "will suffer the consequences!" The man laughed and ended the transmission. Netto shot up and began skating towards the building, ignoring the surprised cry of Meiru, and pushing past the bags so as to reach the door.

There was no time to waste, Rockman _needed_ him. He gripped the doorknob and turned it.

-

"What do we do now, Deguchi?" Drug asked uninterestedly, kicking at a torn book.

"We wait." Deguchi answered. Mikuro was beginning to struggle again. The man sighed.

"If only this thing would end already. This is a waste of my time."

"I think it's cool!" Mik piped up, and Drug placed a hand on his head. The boy was seated beside Drug's chair, and so it was rather easy to reach down and snag his little noggin.

"Only you would, kid." Drug murmured, and Mik tried to squirm out of his grip.

Deguchi placed his cheek on his fist and sets his elbow on the many buttoned panel. He heard a soft click, and Mikuro uttered a loud, muffled scream.

"What the…?" He stared at screen as it flashed the color of blinding light.

"What's going on?" Mik asked, and both males stood. The monitor was starting to tremble, the lights flickered. Deguchi pushed himself away from the computer and quickly stood up, knocking the chair over and almost hitting the scientist.

Then, suddenly, a loud bleep was heard and words materialized on the screen.

**Eradicate—activated**

All four in the room gasped, and their eyes widened as a bright flash of light exploded out of the screen and covered them.

-

Roll and Glyde had logged out, their energy completely spent and in considerable danger, but Rockman and Blues still fought on.

Rockman fell to all fours, panting and sporting all sorts of bruises and scratches. Blues was backed into a corner, barely fending off Coinman.

**Systems flush—commenced.**

"Wh-What?" Rockman cried, and all the Navis watched with wide eyes as they were suddenly enveloped in white.

-

Netto, having just made it into a kitchen that had a plug, was just about to send a battlechip when he too was encased in white light. The phenomenon stretched out, forming a bubble around the building and then further, seizing everyone outside as well. The whole area could not be seen, basked in a glow so harsh on the eyes that if one looked at it for more than five seconds, they would be blinded.

At Miyuki's shop, Saloma hung a fern in a corner of the room. She heard a small cracking sound and turned her head to look. Miyuki had her hands on each side of it as she always did, but it wasn't her that was making the cracking sound, oh no, it was the crystal ball. A crack had formed and was inching its way across it. But it was unable to finish its journey. The crystal ball suddenly began to shake and unexpectedly blasted into thousands of pieces.


	3. Exposition

Well, you know what? We didn't end up going anywhere anyway, should have planned it better. Oh well, here's chapter three! Which is relevantly short, but no matter, important things happen. Thank you once more for the reviews, it's nice to know _someone_ out there enjoys this story.

-

**Chapter Three: It Begins**

The world is but a burial ground. Life is taken and thrown to the Earth, rotting and becoming nothing but soil, dirt that is overlooked in time's every moving process. But like dirt, each speck of life finds its way somewhere, in your eye or otherwise.

And dirt existed everywhere on him. Shoved into his mouth and clogging his nose. He couldn't make a sound, but he really didn't want to, there was a pain in his stomach that would not go away.

He could hear sounds of moving soil, feet crunching on the ground, and worried calls. If he'd had the sense at the moment, he would have thought of the possibility of any of this.

He was a Navi. There was no real dirt in the Net.

"Netto! I've found him!" came a cry, familiar in tone. Rockman coughed, damp soil spraying everywhere, and tried to move.

"And he's alive! Help me get him up!" Another familiar voice, feminine and excited, appeared from nowhere beside the one that had just spoken.

He felt his arms be tugged and the mud shake from him, he could finally breathe and his nose was now unclogged. But his stomach still hurt. He hissed in pain, refusing to open his eyes.

He heard a gasp, it sounded relieved, and something grabbed him from whoever had held him in the first place.

"Sai…"

Netto? The voice sounded just like his. He slowly opened his eyes and squinted, a blurry vision of brown hair and chocolate brown eyes came into view.

He felt himself be hugged tighter, and the world became dark again, his forehead felt heavy. Like someone was laying their own on his, he coughed weakly.

"Come on, Netto-kun, we've got to get him out of here before he dies!" the female voice warned. Meiru? Now this was becoming strange.

The world came into focus once more, and he was lifted from the ground, his head resting on something firm. Netto's chest, he presumed.

They began moving, he could hear the chatter of the three people. The other voice had to be Dekao's, its deepness was hard to ignore.

He stared at his lap, he was wearing jeans. Jeans…? He didn't remember ever having a clothes upgrade.

"Man, he's quiet." Dekao commented.

"Yeah, well, if you had a big slash mark through _your_ stomach, I don't think you'd be talking either." Netto snapped.

So, that was what the pain was. He closed his eyes and exhaled, wincing at the sharp pang it brought.

"Netto! Oh my god, Saito!" Papa's voice, worried. He tried to just think about breathing, his body hurt enough already. He overlooked the name, thinking it might have slipped out by accident.

The darkness was swimming before his shut eyes. He could feel the tendrils of sleep lick at his sore body, and he allowed himself to be gratefully swallowed by sleep.

-

There was metal _everywhere_. Sheets of it scatter across the ground, rusted iron limbs and parts of internal gizmos lying forgotten beneath the shadow of a towering building.

It was tall, like a modern castle made of silver and glass. There were seven stories; each had at least two windows on it. There was no door, no distinguishable entrance leading into the fortress.

Guards—robots that looked like their default Navi counterparts—were stationed on every side, door or no door.

Surrounding the glorious structure was trash, disposable items that lost all value right after creation, or maybe even later.

A young man, average in size and covered in dust and dirt, appeared out of the rubbish, clutching what looked like a black PET but with dark-colored blades sticking out of it on all sides.

The man, months past his eighteenth birthday, strolled his was casually up to the guards. They peered down at him, as they were much taller.

"Permission to enter?" he smiled up at them smugly. Stupid Robot Navis, he bet they couldn't tell a person from a trashcan.

The one he had spoken to stared at him for a moment before looking at the one beside it. It nodded, and the guard tapped its gun—each was equipped with a laser sniper—on the wall behind it.

The metal wall suddenly slid open, and the man merely walked on in, his gait filled with self-confidence.

Inside was the equivalent of a large factory. The young man walked over to the rail and looked down, he could see machines reaching out mechanical arms and placing metal body parts on conveyor belts. More Robot Navis, some default and others original, ambled about the building. Some carried cardboard boxes up and down the stairs while others hurried about fulfilling duties.

"Namu?" the man turned at the voice and found Robot Navi Swallowman standing behind him.

"What?"

"Ultimate-sama wishes to speak with you."

The man, Namu, just nodded and pushed past Swallowman without another word.

-

Namu Koruku never realized how long the walkways actually were. He'd been walking for ten minutes already, and he still hadn't reached the master's chamber.

He held tightly to his PET, he'd not put it away since arrival, and he glanced down at it instinctively.

He'd just returned from a very successful mission. He'd infiltrated the Resistance's main water source, and it was now nothing more than a hole with constantly gushing water. Although the plan had gone as it should, something happened that did not. His navi, Cyber.EXE, had been locked in a battle with the Navi of the son of Hikari Yuuichirou when the whole system crashed. Cyber did not escape in time. The Navi naturally materialized back into the PET but was unconscious and not responding.

He clenched his hand tighter around it; Cyber was the only thing he cared about in this life, ever more than his own.

He halted as he reached a large, cylinder-shaped door. He knocked.

"Come in," the voice was smooth and deadly. Koruku slowly pushed the door open and took a few steps in.

The room was dark save for five rectangular windows—ocean blue in color—lined up next to each other at the farthest end of the room, casting an eerie dark blue glow across the walls and the floor.

Koruku shut the door and noticed a figure, its back turned to him. It was hovering in place, staring into the blue of the windows.

"You summoned for me, Ultimate-sama?" he kneeled and bowed, waiting patiently for the Robot Navi's reaction.

"Yes…yes I did." It turned around and red eyes gleamed in the ocean of blue. It wore clothes similar to that of Cyber Elf X from Rockman Zero (this is the best I can explain it, sorry) but instead of blues and greens, it was dark blues and blacks. No helmet graced its head, allowing its black hair to be seen.

"Your mission went without fault, am I correct?"

Koruku nodded, not looking up out of respect.

"And how is your…Navi?"

Koruku's hand shook as he placed the PET into the out stretched hand.

He heard the sound of it being switched on and a hum come from Ultimate, "Tsk, tsk. Now isn't this a pity. And Cyber was one of our best fighters too."

Koruku's eyes widened. No, he couldn't really be gone. They could fix him; they had to be able to fix him. They always had.

"His data is destroyed beyond repair, I'm afraid." Ultimate commented, voice like a quiet, moving river. He handed the PET back to its owner, and Koruku took it without another word, messy green locks falling over his face.

He peered at the motionless, orange Navi, green visor covering his closed eyes, and shark-finned helmet dented and half destroyed. Cyber had always been a rather enthusiastic Navi, always ready to help Koruku out if in need. But it was as if Koruku was staring at someone else's Navi, this could not be his own.

"But because you have done so well since you were recruited here, I will make a deal with you." Ultimate's boot-covered feet took a step back.

Koruku continued to stare at the screen, having heard his master but not wanting to respond. This could not be his Navi, not Cyber. Cyber always bounced back when he got hurt, would always be better the next morning, ready and revving to do something else.

This wasn't his Navi.

Ultimate did not seem bothered by the lack of answer and merely continued speaking, "I will bring Cyber back under one condition. There is an assignment I have been rather hesitant on ordering my followers to perform, as cowardice as humans are; I expected many to start backing out. I also expect no less from my Robot Navis as well. But you, you have no choice. You cannot back out, or I could simply take away Cyber's life once more." He paused, and Koruku waited, unbelieving and dazed.

A hand once more appeared in front of his face, "Do we have a deal?"

Koruku stared at it for a moment, feeling as though he would be signing off his life if he took it, and then looked back down at the orange Navi.

_"Koruku-sama! Let's go, let's go! I can't wait anymore!"_

_"Calm down, Cyber, you're in always such a hurry."_

_"Nu-uh."_

_"Don't give me that."_

_"Aw, but Koruku-sama! I'm excited because I get to battle alongside you!"_

Koruku clenched it suddenly.

He took the gloved hand and shook it.

"Good…" Ultimate Rockman chuckled, "very good…"

-

Enzan's head hurt. It was the first thing that came to mind as soon as consciousness was within his grasp.

He was lying on his back upon hard concrete. He groaned, inching his ocean blue eyes open and realizing he was staring up into the sky.

After a few minutes of just lying there, he pushed his torso off the ground and blinked dizzily as the world swam before his eyes.

Placing a hand over his closed eyelids, he waited until he no longer felt as though he'd puke, and peered around him.

Yuuichirou lay by his side, seeming unconscious, and as Enzan continued to scan the area, he realized that _everyone_ was.

The white haired boy stood and begun making his way towards the building.

Netto had rushed in there before the blast of light; he had to see if he was okay.

The door still swung open, hinges creaking, and Enzan walked into the building gingerly, unsure what could be lurking in the shadows.

He didn't know where to start but chose the closest room on his right. It turned out to be a laundry room, and Enzan highly doubted he'd find Netto here.

This went on for a few minutes, Enzan peering into room after room in search of the messy haired boy, until he came upon what looked to be a kitchen.

It was old and dusty, as though it hadn't been used in years. Kitchen appliances littered the counters, cabinet doors were roughly yanked open, and Enzan could see nothing occupying them. On the counter near an old fashioned microwave was a box of newly opened crackers, Enzan jumped as his foot scraped against something.

It was a PET, Netto's PET.

He kneeled down and observed it, a battlechip rested beside it on the ground. The PET's screen was crackling with static.

He looked around, nothing but these two items gave any indication that Netto had been here. But he'd _never _leave without his PET, especially when Rockman was in danger.

Then, it hit him, and Enzan felt rather foolish for not realizing it sooner.

Netto had disappeared.


	4. It's Interesting, these lies

Ah. Here we go: chapter four! Yay, more reviews:D Reviews make me happy.

And now that I think about it, I'll just tell you this: This fic, in the Rockman.EXE timeline, can be placed at the after Stream but before Beast.

All right, here you go. Read all ready. It's another short chapter. They probably won't stay too terribly long. -**shrugs-** Oh well. Please enjoy!

-

**Chapter Four: Everything Is Wrong**

It was really warm, like sleeping on a soft, fluffy cloud. He didn't want to move, feeling that if he did he would break the spell, but this did not stop his mind from sluggishly awakening. The sounds of beeping and the dull shuffles of moving feet floated into his hearing.

"Saito-kun?"

The word caused him to stir even more. That was Netto voice. But…why was he calling him…

The room flashed before his eyes in white and greys. Tile decorated the walls and ceiling, dark grey curtains covered a window to his right. Rockman thought he'd gone colorblind when the sight of Netto's head appeared thankfully before his vision.

"Saito-kun! You're awake!" Netto cried in relief, smiling.

"Netto-kun…" Rockman smiled as well. The boy was now grinning ear from ear. The Navi shifted into a sitting position and blinked when he noticed that Netto was wearing a different set of clothes. The boy's shirt was completely black and on top of that was a blue jean vest. The bandanna was the same, Rockman was relieved to see.

Then, his eyes widened.

What was he doing here? _In front of_ Netto? He was a Navi! This wasn't possible!

He looked down at his hands and brought them up to his face, he still wore blue gloves, but they were of a darker shade, and he could see his fingernails.

Fingernails…

Rockman looked back up at his operator. "Netto-kun…what happened…?"

"Oh! Well, when the resistance's water tower exploded, you were hit with a bit of the debris and it made a big cut on your stomach." Netto explained, rubbing at his head. Rockman noticed he was sitting on a chair beside the bed.

"Saito-sama! You're all right!" Rockman nearly jumped, the sudden cry startling him.

Netto laughed, reaching down in his pocket and pulling out a PET. It was dark purple.

"Gabba's been worried about you ever since he found out. I swear he's become a permanent spazz." Netto chuckled and handed Rockman the PET.

Rockman stared at the boy for a moment before looking down at the screen.

Standing there was, of course, a Navi. It was purple, its helmet slightly chunky and tightly clinging to the Navi's head. It was small, reminding Rockman of his own design, and the symbol on its chest was a cogwheel. Its face looked strained and worried.

"Saito-sama? Are you all right? Can you hear me?" It, by the voice, sounded male. The Navi watched him nervously.

"Um-um-I-I-" Rockman didn't understand what was going on. How could he be…how was it possible that…

He touched his face.

How could he be human?

"How is your brother, Netto-kun?" Another voice, this time from Netto's PET, which lay untouched on the sheets, slid smoothly into the silence.

"He just woke up, Classic! The doctors said he'd be all right!" Netto spoke into the PET, excited and breathless.

"I'm glad," came the curt reply.

Rockman frowned.

"Netto-kun…who're you…?"

"Hm?" Netto looked up. "Oh, Classic, my Navi, remember?" He also handed his blue PET to Rockman.

The once-Navi took it, and his hand began to shake as he stared at the Navi inside.

It looked exactly like him except its color was silver instead of blue.

The insignia on the Navi's chest was his own.

Rockman let the PET drop from his hands.

Everything was wrong.

--

"Netto's missing!"

"But so is Rockman!"

"What are we going to do?"

"They couldn't have just disappeared!"

Exchanges like these were all over the Science Labs. It had been a day after the kidnapping, and the disappearance of both Netto and Rockman. The three criminals had escaped and left poor Dr. Mikuro lying helpless on the ground. They'd untied him and taken him back to the Labs by helicopter. Currently, he and the rest of those who'd been at the scene stood in an interrogation room. Enzan paced the room while Meiru merely whimpered as she sat, curled up, in a chair. Yaito stood beside her, trying to help comfort her.

Yuuichirou was worried and wary. Above all else, he was mostly worried. Something had happened to both boys while the rest of the Navis and those inside were left untouched. Roll was holding up better than poor Meiru, but she still felt dazed by the experience. Blues didn't see how the disappearance could be possible; Rockman had disappeared right before his eyes. The other two Navis, Coinman and Sliceman, fled not a moment after by command of their operators.

"Dr. Mikuro Tadao," Yuuichirou said after a moment.

The scientist was short and stocky with a large, bushy grey mustache and no hair other than chunks on his sideburns. He wore half-mooned glasses, and his lab coat was rather wrinkled.

"Yes, yes, I know. You're going to ask me about the blasted 'Eradicate'! Get it over with, I'd rather be out drinking lattes and eating cashews, at least it wouldn't be a waste of my time." Mikuro huffed, looking off to the side. His hands were clasped behind his back. Yuuichirou got the impression that this scientist thought he was the best thing created since the light bulb.

"Yes, well, if you'd rather I'd get to the point, fine. My son and his Navi have disappeared, there was a flash of light just before this occurred. What happened to them?" Yuuichirou said this calmly, folding his arms over his chest.

"Hmph, the stupid mongrel pushed the button, that's what happened! I shouldn't have hid it so openly, but I never thought anybody would be after my baby!" Mikuro exclaimed, frowning and reaching up to smooth out his mustache.

Enzan grit his teeth.

"All right, but what _happened_ to them?" Yuuichirou demanded, slightly annoyed.

"They've obviously been sent spiraling through time and space. I don't know where they've landed, but it's some place opposite of our own. Now, if you'd excuse me, I'd like to go clean up my home. The stupid fugitives wrecked the whole place, hope they didn't trash my watch collection." Mikuro brushed invisible dirt of his sleeve and turned to head towards the door. He was stopped by Enzan.

"How do we get them back?" Enzan asked calmly, placing a hand on the scientist's shoulder and squeezing it.

"Ow-ow! Okay, okay. Careful, I'm fragile." He hissed and tried to wave off Enzan's hand. The white haired boy let go but did not budge, continuing to stare icily.

Mikuro inhaled deeply. "I don't know," he answered simply, "I worked for years perfecting its ability to work, not its ability to bring the subjects I sent back. I never got the kinks out. So, there, the two are never coming back. Now may I go? I have to feed my fish; they pine if I stay gone too long."

"What do you mean, they're never coming back!" Meiru gasped, eyes widening.

The murmuring intensified around the room by a tenfold. Yuuichirou held up a hand to quiet the noise down.

"Is there anyway you could reverse the effects that sent them to wherever they are and cause them to be taken back here?" The younger scientist asked.

"Well, yes, probably. But it's really not my problem, so, good luck with your life! Maybe you can adopt another son; you know how many orphaned kids are out there!" Mikuro tried to move around Enzan, but the boy did not allow him passage.

"But a helpless boy and his Navi are out there alone, what if they end up in a place that's dangerous!" Manabe exclaimed. "Don't you have it somewhere in your heart to help them?"

Mikuro placed a hand on his chin and thought for a moment. "Well…I am very busy…and this predicament does not stimulate by amazing thinking abilities. So, no, no I don't. Goodbye!"

Enzan then suddenly held out a large wad of cash right in front of the scientist's face.

"What if we pay you?" Enzan asked.

"What do you take me for, a cheapskate? I'd never hire out my astonishing abilities for money!" Mikuro took a step back and yanked at his collar importantly.

Enzan sighed and reached into his pocket, taking out a wallet and beginning to dig through.

Mikuro watched curiously as the boy pulled out a checkbook and begun scribbling something down with a fountain pen.

"What have you got there?" Mikuro asked, trying to peer over the checkbook's leather casing.

Enzan tore out a piece of paper and handed it to the scientist. Mikuro took it, and his eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets when he saw the number.

"_235,610,000,000 yen!_" The scientist shrieked. (That's about two billion in US dollars, I believe. I dunno about euros or anything though.)

"Well?" Enzan raised an eyebrow.

Mikuro quickly shut his mouth, as it had been hanging open, and crossed his arms, "Fine, but I want to be paid by the hour on the hour."

Enzan rolled his eyes while everyone else glanced at each other in relief.

"Okay, let's get started then!" Yuuichirou cried, clapping his hands together and gazing around the room expectantly.

--

"We're sorry, boss. We never planned for this to happen—"

"Silence! I want no more of your excuses! The Eradicate is not in my possession, I expected to be holding it in my hands by now!"

Deguchi grumbled and looked down at the floor. Beside him, Drug and Mik were glancing around the room nervously.

"'Ey, Mr. B, don't take it ou' on us. Deguchi's the one that pushed the button." Drug pointed out. He was chewing on a toothpick. Deguchi silently cursed his name.

"Button?" their boss sounded interested.

"Something on the keyboard, sir, it was hidden out in the open so I didn't know that it was even there. It caused a big flash." Deguchi explained.

"It gave us time to get away, though!" Mik told their boss excitedly.

"Quiet, you fool!"

Mik flinched at the harshness of their boss's tone.

"What kind of flash, Deguchi?"

"Very white…really bright…almost blinds you."

"Kinda like staring at'a room tha's completely white." Drug supplied.

The man that sat upon a large, leather swivel chair hummed.

"I want you to go back."

"What?"

"_You_ _heard me, Deguchi!_" Their boss roared, and Deguchi winced.

"I want you to study that keyboard again," the man told them calmly, placing a lit cigar at the side of his mouth, "I think you might have accidentally stumbled across the Eradicate. You fools are good for something after all."

Deguchi could almost hear the man grin.

"Well, didn't I say leave? _GET GOING ALREADY!_"

The three hurriedly spun around and began to quickly walk out of the room.

No, the man _hadn't_ told them to leave.

But, it didn't stop them from doing so.


	5. To Begin the Act

Wow. Three reviews on just one chapter. Sweet. Anyway, here's chapter five. This might be the last one posted for a couple of days. Ya know, considering school is starting up for me again. But, eh, it doesn't take me that long to write these things so if I don't finish the next chapter today, it'll be either tomorrow or Wednesday.

There. That's enough info for you. Probably just wanna read the chapter, huh? And they just seem to be getting shorter and _shorter..._Oops, enough of my babbling. Enjoy the chapter!

-

**Chapter Five: To Begin A Play**

Rockman's hands were shaking. Even after the shock had subsided, they trembled still. Netto watched him worriedly, so did Gabba.EXE, or so he figured the Navi was called.

"I-I don't know what's going on!" Rockman cried. "Netto-kun, where am I?" He swiftly turned to his operator, feeling more panicked than he ever had in his life

"You're at the resistance's infirmary." Netto answered.

What was wrong with his brother? Netto wondered. Had something happened when the debris fell?

There was only one way to find out. Netto took a deep breath and looked down at the sheets.

"Saito-kun, what was the day…what date was it when we went to Amerope?" Netto's face was shadowed by his bangs.

Rockman blinked, he didn't remember. It felt so long ago. "I-I don't know."

Netto's head shot up. "You-You don't remember?"

Rockman shook his head.

"Nothing at all?" Netto's face scrunched up.

"Well, I _do_ remember getting kidnapped…" Rockman was startled to see Netto shake his head.

"That's _it_? Saito, that's the day that Tohru—Tohru…" Netto trailed off and pushed himself away from the bed, grabbing onto his PET as he did so. (Does everybody know how Tohru is? Tory in the English dub? Just makin' sure…ya know…didn't want to lose y'all.)

"I'm going to go get Papa!" he called, his voice sounding thick.

Rockman stared after the boy who was once his operator. "Tohru-kun…? What happened to…?"

"Saito-sama, did you bump your head?" It was his supposed Navi, Gabba. Rockman scooped the PET back up and stared at the screen.

"I don't think so…" Rockman frowned pensively. What had happened? That blast of light…had it sent him here? Was this an alternate dimension?

He'd heard of these, they were constantly discussed by intelligent Navis in Internet City. And the Eradicate was supposedly a first try at a time machine…maybe Dr. Mikuro hadn't gotten it fully right and, instead of time, he had created a portal to an alternate universe!

Rockman's eyes widened. So…he was in an alternate universe…he'd have to make due. Saying that he had amnesia seemed to be the safest bet.

"I-I might of…I mean…I remember Netto and some other people but then I don't really remember…" Rockman murmured, playing the confused act. Which really wasn't an act, he was still sort of confused, after all.

How long would he have to keep this up?

Gabba's eyes widened, and he begun to tear up, "So you-you don't remember me? Oh Saito-sama!"

Rockman swore that if the little Navi could, he would have hugged him.

-

Netto ran, panting, and tears flowed out the sides of his eyes. How could Saito not remember the day Tohru died? They hadn't been there, of course, too busy with their vacation at Amerope. Saito had been kidnapped and on the verge of losing his life, by time they'd rescued him they learned Tohru had been killed. The Water Plant suddenly exploded, and Tohru, his father, and even Iceman didn't make it out. Netto remembered the pain like it was yesterday, the boy's smiling face… Saito had been just as distraught. How could he not remember?

The messy haired boy swerved around a corner and paused in front of two metal doors, hurriedly pushing a button that would slide them open.

The room was filled with men in lab coats; Netto wormed his way through them until he reached his father. Hikari Yuuichirou.

The man was the only one not wearing a lab coat, his back was turned to Netto, and he seemed to be discussing something rather heatedly.

"Papa!" Netto cried, and the scientist turned around. "Oh, Netto! How's Sai?"

"That's just the thing…" he began but stopped, there were too many people around.

"Papa, can we go somewhere else and talk?"

Yuuichirou blinked and looked around before shrugging, "I don't see why not. Come on then. I'll be back in a minute, Takahashi!"

"All right, Hikari! Just don't take too long!"

Yuuichirou laughed and waved as Netto led him by the hand out of the room.

"We'll talk in here." Yuuichirou pointed to a door which led to a storage closet. Netto nodded, and they clambered in.

"What about Sai, Netto?" Yuuichirou questioned curiously.

"He doesn't…he doesn't…it's like he doesn't remember anything!" Netto cried, wringing his hands.

Yuuichirou was puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"Papa, he didn't remember the day _Tohru_ died." Netto insisted, looking very upset.

Yuuichirou's features softened and he frowned slightly, "So you're saying that Saito might have amnesia?"

"He's got to, Papa! He doesn't remember Gabba or even Classic!"

"Okay, okay. I understand. I'll get the good doctors to go and check up on him." Yuuichirou placed a hand on his son's shoulder, trying to comfort the boy.

Netto sighed, "Okay."

"Oh, and while you're heading back to Saito's room, would you mind giving this to Enzan? It's from Laika, he said it was important." Yuuichirou dug into his pocket and took out a white envelope. He handed it to his son, and Netto accepted it, placing it in his pocket as well.

"Well, I better get back, or they'll have my head. It'll be all right, Netto, I'm sure Saito will be okay." Yuuichirou nodded and unlocked the door, holding it open for Netto and following the boy out.

Netto's father turned and headed back towards the room while Netto himself began to trudge to Enzan's own. He shoved his hand in the pocket where the envelope was and watched the floor unhappily. Whatever the envelope was about, he'd force Enzan to tell him. He was apart of the resistance force, after all.

--

"Honestly, a man could starve down here! Does nobody care for _my_ want or _my_ needs? I'm the only one working on this!" Mikuro raved, scooting his chair back and kicking childishly at the dashboard.

"Quiet, you haven't done a thing. You've just sat there the entire time and typed." Enzan scowled, sitting on a chair across the room.

"Where are the others, anyway? Shouldn't they be done cleaning up my beautiful house by now? It's almost lunchtime, and I still haven't received my paycheck!" Mikuro continued to complain, ignoring Enzan's truthful comment.

"If you haven't noticed, _doctor_, your house is large, and there are only _five_ people cleaning it." Enzan ground out irritably.

They'd arrived at Mikuro's "humble little abode" three hours ago. The place, truth be told, was a wreck. A few police still meandered about outside, just in case the criminals tried to come back as Enzan expected they would, and Mikuro constantly whined about the noise and how it was "muddling up his thinking process."

Dr. Hikari, Meiru, Yaito, Dekao, and Dingo—the two boys had arrived just an hour ago with the only excuse that the shop had been extremely busy—were currently cleaning up the not-so-good doctor's house.

"Yes, and there are seven here! Excluding me, who is doing the best I can with my wonderful, and _amazing_ abilities. You should also be helping out as well!" Mikuro twisted around in his chair and pointed an accusing finger at Enzan, meeting the boy with an identical glare.

"I'm stationed for guard duty." Enzan told him simply, leaning back in the chair and placing his leg on his knee and arms behind his head.

"Well, then, your time is up. No need for a guard here, I'm getting paid, I won't skip out. As I've said before, Bubbles and Sweetie pine if I stay gone too long." Mikuro turned to the goldfish bowl on his right and lovingly stroked the glass. Two yellow goldfish swiftly swam in the other direction, startled by the sudden movement.

Enzan merely snorted; Bubbles and Sweetie indeed.

"Get back to work." Enzan commanded, and the scientist huffed, throwing his nose into the air and turning his attention back to the screen.

There was a tense silence in the room, just the click-clacking of the keys to fill the quiet.

Then, suddenly, Mikuro let out a startled gasp. Enzan shot up and hurried over. The window that popped up onto the screen read in big, yellow bubbled letters: "18k Gold Watch half off, get it today for the low price of 21,208,428.29 yen!"(About $180,000.00) Below it was a picture of a very nice looking gold watch.

"It's…beautiful…" Mikuro murmured, eyes shining.

Enzan felt his temper rise.

His hand moved so fast that the scientist never saw him reach for the mouse. The cursor quickly moved up and closed the window. Mikuro's mouth dropped open in shock.

"You-You…the-the…"

"Working hard, are you?" Enzan leaned against the table, smirking.

Mikuro snarled, "Fine. But you're going to get it boy, just you wait. That watch was a limited edition! I've never seen ANYONE advertising it."

Enzan merely raised a slender eyebrow, and the scientist pulled up a minimized window, grumbling something about stupid kids not knowing how to treat their elders.

--

Hikari Haruka washed the dishes, slowly and steadily, watching the cloth move smoothly over the bowl's ceramic surface.

Netto would have been here, normally, helping her as he always did.

And Rockman would be making comments or just chatting with her.

But it was quiet tonight. No loud yells punctuating the silence or even the slightest hint of other life.

Haruka sighed. She missed her Netto.

What had happened to him? Yuuichirou hadn't called her yet. Was it something bad? Was he afraid to tell her?

She sniffled. No, crying wouldn't help her now. She reached for a towel and begun drying the bowl off.

Meiru hadn't even come over to explain. Haruka often tried to stay out of Netto's business being a Net Savior. She didn't ask about the missions or even bring them up. But she worried. Every time he hurried out the door with that big, goofy smile on his face. She worried about him constantly.

And her fears had now been realized.

She knew Netto had disappeared, and so had Rockman. But no one had informed her to where or why.

Haruka placed the bowl in the cabinet and shut the door, just dinner for one tonight.

Only one set of dishes to clean.

Netto's mother strolled into the living room, not paying very much attention to where she was going. She flopped down onto a chair and sighed sadly, reaching over and picking up the picture of her, Netto, and Yuuichirou.

Haruka studied it nostalgically, placing her cheek in her hand.

A static sound silently popped into Haruka's hearing, and she looked around but noticed nothing out of the ordinary.

It happened again, this time though, her TV turned on.

Haruka watched with fascination as the screen fizzled and crackled.

"_Ma…ma…_" The voice was hoarse and mixed in with static so it was barely heard. Haruka shot up in surprise, dropping the picture frame onto the couch.

"Who-who's there?" she stammered, unable to back up any further.

"_Ma…ma…_" the voice said again.

The TV screen suddenly went blank. Haruka gulped in air, standing still and waiting.

Nothing happened for a moment.

And, then, it exploded.


	6. Haze

Ah…yeah. Just a little bit late, like, a day. Sorry 'bout that. I got a book in the mail I'd been waiting for and instead of writing the rest of this like I should have been doing, I was reading. So, yeah, my only excuse. And although this is longer than the previous…two, three?--I will tell you now that it is not of the utmost quality. I just kinda wanted to get it out. Hated this sucker, so, it's long, stuff happens, and the little errors you see are there on account of generallaziness.

All right! Enough of this chit-chatter! Onward, brave travelers! To the depths of not-so-very-good-chapters!

-

**Chapter Six: Awake Anew**

Haruka threw herself to the floor, listening to the pieces of the TV shatter against the walls and even through a few windows. And although the crisis had calmed down a few minutes later, she continued to lie there, lying on her stomach.

What should she do? Call the police? But what could she possibly say? Sorry to bother you but my TV suddenly exploded? No, her story sounded too unbelievable.

She slowly craned her head up to peer at the television set, or what was left of it. The screen had fell face first onto the ground, and only the foundation for it stood, albeit very charred.

She slowly, shakily, pushed herself off the ground and looked around the room.

There was nothing else to do. She would have to call Yuuichirou.

Haruka headed towards the kitchen and picked up the phone, quickly dialing the number that was her husband's cell phone.

--

Netto frowned at the red door in front of him, the words _Ijuuin Enzan_ scrawled on the surface. He looked down at the envelope in his hand, wondering if he should really give it to the white haired boy.

It wasn't that Netto wanted to disobey his father; on the contrary, he would have normally just walked in if this had been anybody else.

_But_ Ijuuin Enzan.

The two weren't exactly friends, merely allies forged by the onset destruction of their homeland. They could not get along at all, their views very different from the other.

Saito was the one that normally kept peace between them, as Enzan seemed to respect his older brother a lot more for reasons unknown, but this time he was entering forbidden territory alone.

But as he raised his fist to knock, the door slid open, and Netto found himself staring into the narrow, ocean blue eyes of Ijuuin Enzan.

"What?" he asked rather bitterly, frowning at the sight of the boy he found but a nuisance.

"Papa wanted me to give this to you, it's from Laika. He said it's important." Netto explained just as sourly, stretching out the hand the envelope was in. Enzan stared down at it before snatching it from Netto's tan hands.

"How's Saito?" Enzan asked, clenching the envelope slightly in his hands.

"Fine, he's awake." Netto answered tersely. They both looked as though they wished to be anywhere but where they were at that moment.

"Good, I'll come and see him later then," was Enzan's only response as he turned around, intent on closing the door in Netto's face.

But Netto held out a hand to stop him from doing so.

"What's it say?" he asked pithily.

"If you were supposed to know, I would have already told you." Enzan said, frowning, and trying to move Netto's hand away.

"I'm part of the resistance; I should be allowed to know what's important and what's not." Netto persisted, determined to know what was in the envelope.

Enzan sighed, "Fine. Just don't tell anybody else."

Netto grinned, feeling triumphant.

Enzan spun around and half led the boy into the room, bringing the envelope to attention and starting to tear it open.

"H-Hey! Don't open it yet!" Netto exclaimed, hurrying in and watching the door slide shut behind him.

"I'm not waiting for you." Enzan answered simply, his voice low and soft. He had already torn open the top of the envelope and was now pulling out the letter inside.

"Well, what's it say?" Netto asked after a minute, studying Enzan's accommodations. It was plain and nothing stood out to the messy haired boy, just a regular-looking bed and a few shelves littered with only a few objects. Netto could tell Enzan was very much the thrifty type.

Enzan glanced up at the boy and very reluctantly began to read.

--

"Saito-sama! Why do we do this? We're going to get in trouble!" Gabba.EXE whined as Rockman snuck behind another corner, tense and alert for any being's presence.

"Shh!" Rockman hushed, jerking his head around to make sure no one heard. The hall was deserted, and Rockman sighed in relief.

"Saito-sama…" Gabba whimpered.

"Look…I've gotta—Papa—I've got to talk to Papa." Rockman explained breathlessly. If anyone knew how to help him, and would understand and not completely laugh at his plea, it was Hikari Yuuichirou.

"Oh," Gabba replied, looking down at the nonexistent floor of his PET. Rockman felt so weird, was this what it felt like to hold and look into a PET from the outside. Was he really _that_ small to Netto?

He began to inch across the hallway, wary of possible bystanders or even people he knew wandering by and spotting him. Even though he had a human body, his reflexes in this one were just as good, albeit a little slower due to the heavier mass.

He continued to shuffle along, avoiding the middle of the hallway at all costs and rounding constant corners in this maze of teal carpet and white walls.

After minutes of his venturing he came upon a sole mirror leaning against a wall. It stood across from a room that appeared to be empty. Rockman inhaled deeply, he was torn between wanting to see what he looked like and not, as if it would tarnish what he thought his appearance to be for the rest of his existence.

"Saito-sama? Do you not remember what you look like?" Gabba asked from the PET, looking worried as that seemed to be his main expression.

Rockman shook his head and quickly leaped in front of the mirror, his eyes shut.

He stood there for a moment then opened them.

His green eyes, for they were still the same color, widened.

The first thing that came to his attention was his hair, black as it always looked by the spikes sticking out of the back of his helmet. Although as he twisted to his left, he could see them reaching just below his neck and two locks, hanging down his face like bangs, of the same color touching his cheekbones. The gloves were the same though they weren't as big as the ones he usually wore while existing as a Navi, and his clothes were tarnished and ragged, he could see his stomach through the long slash mark across his dark blue shirt.

Rockman gasped and reached to touch his neck, for flesh was there instead of fabric, and he ran a hand through his hair.

He could feel it.

_Actually _feel it.

"Saito-sama…what are you…?"

But the little Navi was cut off as a loud yell sounded from nowhere. Rockman ducked and rolled, swerving to the wall and slamming his body against it, lying flat so as not to be seen. He could hear Gabba's muffled screams as he was thrown about in the PET.

"_Hikari! Calm down!_" another yell, this time of a different, much calmer, pitch.

Rockman scooted past the door and stopped at the corner, peering around, intrigued.

There was no one in the hallway—reminiscent of the previous one—and the noise seemed to be coming from a solitary, red door. Rockman slowly stood up and began tip-toeing towards it, careful not to make a sound lest he be discovered so soon.

There was another yell, but quieter this time, and someone argued back. The conversation sounded heated. Rockman kneeled back down and leaned his newly discovered ear against the door.

"Look, I don't care about what the government plans to do with that chip or whatever, but when my brother's supposed to be used as a _TEST SUBJECT—_"

"YOU look, Hikari. It wasn't my idea, if you want to complain, take it to the government board. They're merely informing me!"

Enzan. Netto. Rockman frowned, why were they arguing? They hadn't done this…since…well…a while now. It was odd to hear their voices this loud and _this_ angry.

Rockman pressed his ear closer.

"Yeah, well, since _you_ seem to know them, I'm telling _you_ to talk to them!"

"Hikari…" Enzan sighed.

Rockman stopped listening and leaned against the door. He'd heard enough. He was going to be used as a test subject, his grip tightened on the PET.

"Oh no! Saito-sama, did you hear that?" Gabba began tearing up again, "You're doomed! We're doomed! You're going to be floating in a vat of goo where you'll live the rest of your life as an almost dead guinea pig!"

Rockman raised an eyebrow.

How could he have—no matter if this was an alternate dimension or not—possibly created a Navi with such a runaway imagination?

The once-Navi looked up at the ceiling.

He gulped silently.

Gabba was probably right.

Shooting off the ground, Rockman did not get far. The cuff of his jeans caught itself in the crack of the door, and he fell face forward, for the door had been pushed open from behind him. His PET went skidding across the floor and gently tapped the mirror. Rockman twisted his head around, laughing sheepishly as he came face-to-face with Netto and Enzan.

--

It was so terribly dusty. Yuuichirou sneezed; the dust was starting to clog his nose.

"Dr. Hikari! What should I do with this?" Dekao questioned, holding up a rotten shoe. Yuuichirou scrunched up his nose at the smell it wafted, "Put it with the rest of the trash." Dekao did as he was told, and the shoe ended up in a pile almost a mile high.

The group had been cleaning for _hours_ and still could see no visible fruits for their labors. Yuuichirou was tired, hungry, and guilty. He still hadn't called his wife, too busy with everything that had happened recently.

"Dr. Hikari? Are you all right?" Meiru asked, walking over to him carrying with her a bag of trash.

"Oh no, everything's fine. Don't worry about it." Yuuichirou reassured her, smiling cheerfully.

"Okay…" But Meiru was unconvinced.

They continued working for another twenty minutes or so when the sudden echo of a tune bounced into the silence. Yuuichirou looked down at his pocket, realizing it was his own cell phone. He quickly grabbed it and flipped it open, placing the receiver to his ear.

The four drew their attentions to the doctor, glad to have something to take their minds off of the boringness that was trash, and watched as he face changed from relief to nervousness to calm fear.

Yuuichirou quickly snapped the cell phone closed and ran towards the counter, grabbing his lab coat as he did so.

"Where are you going?" Dekao asked, surprised by the sudden action.

"Home, something happened," was the scientist's only answer as he darted out of the room and they could hear the door of the house slamming shut behind him.

--

Koruku watched the screen impatiently, looking over his Navi's features for what felt like the fiftieth time. Beside him, Ultimate was hooking gazillions of wires of all different colors to his PET. The whir of the computer was drilling in his ears, he had taken the job. Now he wanted his Navi back.

"All programs are working properly, Ultimate-sama. We are ready to begin the process." A Robot Navi with a dull, monotone voice reported, standing ramrod straight and blank eyes faithfully boring into its master's.

"Good, begin then." Ultimate nodded, satisfied. The Robot Navi scurried back to the desks piled with twenty or more computers, conversing with ones identical to it. They, all at once, began pushing buttons and pulling levers, bringing up windows and murmuring intelligible things aloud.

Koruku's eyes widened as Cyber disappeared from the screen as small boxes replaced him, piling on top of each other. Koruku did not know what to do so he just waited for a sign from Ultimate.

The boxes' data started to dissipate and clutch onto one another, forming into what looked akin to Cyber's long body shape.

Color came first, pixels and pixels of common shades suddenly clinging onto the newly formed body shape, and then features shifted to familiar ones. It didn't take more than five minutes and when that had passed, Koruku found himself staring at what he had before, just less beat up.

"Navi Data Reformation: Complete. Cyber.EXE should be online within an hour." One of the clones explained and Ultimate smiled smugly.

"There, he's back. I have restored your beloved associate to his rightful form. Now, go on. I want you well rested before you must begin my…special assignment." Ultimate ordered, spinning around and hovering over to the collection of computers.

Koruku stood up and shuffled dazedly out the door. Once in the hallway, he peered down at his Navi.

Was this really Cyber?

The screen shifted, like the wind dragging a sole strip of water across your clear windshield just with added static, and Cyber looked as though he was beginning to stir.

What? But hadn't the Robot Navis said that he would be online within an hour…?

Cyber's eyes slowly slid open.

Well, guess not.

"Cyber…?" Koruku began hesitantly. He paused, why _was_ he hesitating?

The orange Navi blinked at him a couple of times, chocolate brown eyes wide and extremely confused.

"What…?" He murmured. His voice was thick with sleep.

_What's going on…?_ Was what Hikari Netto wondered as he stared up into orange eyes, just able to see the green locks on the side of his face.

"Cyber…?" the man asked again.

_Cyber…? Who's Cyber?_


	7. Dread

Hi! Yes, this is nearly a week late. Sorry, school sucks. I had no time to write, but, now I have this done! Woo hoo! And there is still no real action or anything. Wah. Oh, well, I had something important to say…oh, yeah!

If you get confused: Alternate Netto will be identified as just Netto when we're with Rockman—who will be Rockman in narration but Saito to the others—and Cyber Netto will be called Netto while those around him will call him Cyber. Make sense? No? Good. Um, did I have anything else to say? I don't remember. Gah. Well, I hope this late chapter will please you. Happy Reading! **-waves-**

-

**Chapter Seven: I Am Not Me**

"Cyber!" The man sighed in relief, staring at Netto with a small smile on his face.

Hikari Netto wondered how this man's face was so big. It wasn't that he thought the man's head was extremely out of proportion or any feature was mockingly large; it was that, in his vision, there was only this man's face, nothing more.

"Wh-What? Who are you?" Netto frowned deciding to chew on that puzzling observation later and figure out the much needed basics for now.

The man's own smile turned downward, "What do you mean?" He sounded hurt and confused.

Netto looked around, wondering why his head felt so heavy. All that surrounded him was green. There were blocky words scrolling horizontally across the background. Most of it read: "Access."

Netto's eyes widened.

"Where am I? What's going on?" Netto shouted, voice becoming shrill.

He recognized the milieu: it was a PET'S.

What was going on?

"Cyber, initiate program code; begin personality scan." The man ordered suddenly.

Something clicked in Netto's mind, like something had been turned on automatically.

For a minute it was like being gently tugged from ones own body. He felt as though he was floating in mid-air. Then Netto suddenly realized that words were spewing from his mouth unchecked, he had no control of his lips.

"Name: Cyber.EXE. Netbattler: Namu Koruku. All systems functioning conventionally, personality program has been disrupted and infected but is working properly. There is no need to reset." Netto's voice droned monotonously.

Netto blinked as soon as the words stopped coming and was relieved to know that he was in control of his body once more.

The man, Namu Koruku, looked deep in thought. Netto was disturbed, however.

Lifting up a hand, he stared at it with wide eyes.

He was wearing a white glove, one that had not been on his hands before.

An idea came to mind. The image of the north side of Densan City popped into his head, and he silently wished to bring up a map of it.

He slowly outstretched a hand and waited. Suddenly, just before his fingertips, a digitalized screen appeared. It was exactly what he needed, a map and text with exact directions.

Netto stumbled backwards, and the screen disappeared.

The boy stared at his hand again.

No wonder his head was so heavy.

He bet Navi helmets _always_ were.

--

"Saito-kun! What are you doing out of you room?" Netto demanded, clamping his hand firmly onto Rockman's arm.

"I-I wanted to look around." Rockman excused, looking down at the carpeted floor and swinging his PET back-and-forth. Enzan stood in front of him, arms crossed and looking unimpressed.

"Didn't Papa send doctors, though?" Netto asked, chewing on his bottom lip. Rockman shook his head.

Enzan sighed, "I suppose you heard us, then?"

Rockman stared into Enzan's unyielding eyes and nodded.

Netto tightened his grip, "Don't worry Saito-kun! Papa'll make sure they don't use you for a guinea pig!"

Rockman nodded, believing that Hikari Yuuichirou would at least try. But this did not make him feel any better. The government wasn't something you could have a pleasant conversation with, especially if you were trying to talk them out of something they most definitely want. Rockman didn't think Yuuichirou could pull it off.

Enzan voiced Rockman's view most blatantly, "Dr. Hikari can do no such thing. Your father is well-respected, Hikari, but not enough."

Netto snarled. Rockman hadn't seen him do that for quite awhile…

There was a terse pause and within that pause, Rockman decided to ask something.

"Hey, Netto-kun, where're Meiru-chan and Dekao-kun?"

Netto stared at him for a moment before answering, "Oh. They're somewhere, I dunno."

"They're on scout duty." Enzan answered simply, flipping a clipboard he'd suddenly acquired over his shoulder and waving the white piece of paper with the said information in front of their faces.

"Can I go see them?"

Netto shrugged, "Sure." But then he stopped, "Wait, no. Papa sent doctors. You can't—"

"What doctors?" Rockman asked, curious to why Netto kept mentioning them.

"M-Me and Papa were going to see if you had amnesia." Netto answered.

"Oh."

There was another pause.

"Let 'em go see Meiru and Dekao, it wouldn't hurt." Enzan said after a moment, not looking at them as he began to dig through the drawers of his computer desk.

"B-But Enzan-sama!" Gabba cried suddenly, materializing in the room. He had his hands clasped and his features showcasing that constant worry. "He's still recuperating!"

On Netto's shoulder, Classic also appeared.

"I believe Saito-kun can survive a little cut. And you do know it has already been stitched and healed?" The Rockman look-a-like informed the meeker Navi, voice haughty.

"Sh-Shut up! I just think it would be better for his health!" Gabba argued back, clenching his hands at his sides.

"What would you know about health? I've never seen you get hurt in your existence." Classic remarked slyly. Gabba sniffled.

It was obvious who'd won the argument.

-

Rockman thought he'd stepped into an army camp. Just like those you saw on TV, it was muddy and rainy and men in uniforms dashed helter-skelter about the encampment.

The wind was blowing harder than he'd ever seen, like a blizzard without snow, and there were so many _people_. The tents were old and ragged, dark tan in color and made of the simplest but most durable fabric. From a bird's-eye view, campsites with raging fires could be seen scattered across the countless acres of land.

Men and women sat huddled beneath blankets and slickers, shivering and trying to keep warm. Men with stretchers scurried by, upon each bloodied, taut fabric laid men and women battered and beaten with wounds and fractures aplenty.

Rockman gasped and took a step back. He'd never seen anything like this before.

"What's wrong Rock? Y'comin' or not?"

Rockman glanced over at the boy who appeared to be younger than him. He was amazed at how unfazed Netto seemed to his surroundings, the gore nothing but typical. Nonetheless, Rockman nodded hesitantly and followed the brown haired boy as he darted through the campground.

It wasn't long before they paused in front of a tent not unlike the others previous. Netto rushed to the opening and yanked open the flap, yelling, "Dekao! Meiru-chan!" The boy stood there for a second before he took a step back. Rockman barely recognized the boy that followed.

He was big, amazingly big—mostly stomach wise. He wore a baggy camouflaged t-shirt and barely seen tan shorts. Boots clung tightly to his large feet and sunglasses covered tiny brown eyes. But there was hair; curly, messy, and brown, falling over his head like a wet and tangled mop.

"Saito! I'm glad you're up!" The large boy greeted, pulling off his sunglasses and smiling at him warmly.

Rockman nearly fainted on his feet.

"De-Dekao?" Rockman choked out.

"Hey! He remembers you!" Netto cried, surprised and happy all at once.

"Hm?" Dekao looked over, but Netto just shook his head, as though to say that they would talk about it later.

"Hey—Hey! Wait for me!" A familiar feminine voice called from within the tent. Netto laughed as he reopened the flap and let out a very familiar girl.

Short reddish pink hair, a smiling face, and clips of the like of Roll's symbol, Sakurai Meiru hopped into sight. She wore different clothes of course—silver zipped and padded tunic with dark blue jeans and tennis shoes—but her countenance and attitude still radiated the same.

"Saito-kun! You're all right! I'm relieved!" Meiru breathed after promptly grabbing him into a big hug. Rockman was caught off guard but soon relaxed.

"Hi Meiru-chan!" Gabba greeted, materializing onto Rockman's shoulder. She laughed and waved.

"There, Saito, you've seen them." Netto nodded sharply, satisfied.

Before they were able to start up a conversation, however, two more people came from the tent. One was recognizable on the spot. Laika; he looked the same all over. There was no difference, although he did seem to have an air similar to the one he'd held after Searchman had Soul Fused with Rockman.

The man beside him was no one Rockman knew. He reached Laika's shoulder, and his hair was remarkably orange, like a carrot. He wore a lab coat and his green eyes twinkled humorously.

"Laika, Dr. Yamana!" Netto cried, waving and bouncing in the air. The orange-haired man, Dr. Yamana it seemed, smiled his way.

"Ah, Netto! It's good to see you again!" Yamana's voice was warm and soft. Soothing to the ears and felt as though it could never become any louder.

"Was Papa going to send you to see Saito-kun?" Netto asked.

Dr. Yamana nodded, "Yes, sorry I didn't come right away. Laika-kun and I were discussing some pressing issues." The man glanced over, and Laika merely nodded in agreement.

"Well, Saito's here so you don't have to go and see him now!" Netto informed, and Yamana looked over. His eyes widened in surprise, "And so he is…well, I suppose that'll save me the hassle of walking all the way up there." Yamana commented cheerfully.

Laika, on the other hand, was busy studying Rockman.

"So can we just come into the tent?" Netto asked after a short pause.

Yamana nodded, "Oh, of course! Just step right in, I've got nothing else to do for a whole hour." The orange-haired doctor walked back over to the tent and flipped up the flap, turning around and holding out his arm in a way as to invite them in.

Rockman stared for a moment then looked around. It was terrible out here though he felt oddly compelled to stay. As if something in there was awaiting him, something he'd rather not know.

"Come on!" Netto complained, coming up from behind Rockman and pushing him towards the tent. Rockman complied, walking towards the opening and nodding in thanks to Dr. Yamana as he passed.

There was something happening here, and he knew he was about to find out. But the question was; did he really want to? Did he want to get involved in this universe's situation when he needed to return home now?

He looked back at the others and realized he had no choice. For now, he'd have to play the part. Maybe he'd find a way back during this whole thing, just maybe.

Rockman really hoped so.


	8. The Darkness of Our World

Ah-hah! Chapter eight! Celebrate! Well, no, not really. But, anyway. Here ya go. I like this chapter, I actually do. I think it's more of Rockman's part really but, eh. Oh, and, lots of details in the first part soooo, just thought to let you know. And now I've realized I haven't put the disclaimer. Gosh.

**Rockman.EXE and all its characters are respectively © to Capcom**

**My characters: (alphabetically) Amori Tanya, Boss (Deguchi, Drug, and Mik's), Cat.EXE, Classic.EXE, Coinman.EXE, Cowboy.EXE, Cyber.EXE, Deguchi Goro, Drug, Gabba.EXE, Gakusha Isamu, Hida Naomi, Mikuro Tadao, Namu Koruku, Okimasa Mik, Raven.EXE, Sliceman.EXE, Ultimate Rockman, and Dr. Yamana are © to me, Araka Sasaki. **

Whew, that's a lot of characters! Anyway, here's the chapter. Enjoy!

-

**Chapter Eight: Like Leaves in the Dust**

They were moving. The man, Koruku, was taking him somewhere. Netto could hear voices so he fathomed that they were in a hallway.

Netto took this as a time to think over everything that had happened.

He was in a PET, a Navi, and his Netbattler was Namu Koruku. Before they'd begun their trek through the hall, the man had questioned him about things that he was apparently supposed to know. But he didn't, and that seemed to upset the man even more. He'd turned around and headed out into the hallway.

Netto stared at his surroundings. Was he in this Navi's body? Had he replaced Cyber's consciousness with his own? It had to be so, or he would have Cyber's memories.

Koruku halted, and Netto looked up at the man's profile curiously. He was rigid and stiff. Someone passed, and he heard, and saw, Koruku make a snide comment.

The green-haired man turned sideways, and a door came into view. It was promptly opened, and the PET was lifted to the man's chest.

Three people stood in the room.

One was female with long, lilac-colored hair. She leaned against a metal table—like one you'd see in a science lab—her torso lying fully atop it. She wore a light blue, spaghetti-strapped shirt and baggy jeans with brown hiking boots. A necklace with a single chunk of garnet, which complemented her same colored eyes, hung from her neck. The woman glanced up and smiled alluringly.

Beside her stood a middle-aged man with straw-like hair and cloudy grey eyes. He wore a black army uniform. It was obvious that he was of higher rank and esteem.

Another female, a girl who was rubbing her elbow, waved to Koruku from her place in front of a computer screen. Her long brown hair cascaded down her back while the rest was hidden behind the back of the chair. Bright, sky-blue eyes gleamed with determination and burning intensity. She wore a smaller version of what the middle-aged man wore.

"So, what took ya so long, Kor?" The purple-haired woman asked, her voice deep and smooth. She pushed herself from the table and made her way over to him.

"Hello, Tanya." Koruku said, tone amused but trying to be indifferent.

Amori Tanya just continued to smirk and roughly locked lips. The kiss did not las long as it was interrupted by, "Get a room."

They broke apart just as the straw-haired man trudged up to them. He was frowning and looked exceedingly displeased.

"Oh, Isamu, you're just jealous." Tanya remarked slyly, wrapping her arms around Koruku's shoulders.

Netto was disgusted.

The middle-aged man, Gakusha Isamu, snorted and ran his hand through his hair.

"Don't get riled up, Gakusha-taisa (Ah, colonel for all you limited Japanese-speakers out there—like me); you're just taking the bait." The other girl warned, rotating around to face them. She looked around Koruku's age, add or take a few years. Her constitution literally bled confidence and knowledge beyond her years.

"Of course," Isamu huffed, but he did back down.

Netto observed these people with interest. Who were these people? Koruku's friends? He didn't seem like the social type.

"So, what's the assignment?" Tanya asked, still clinging to Koruku.

"I knew there was something." Koruku smirked.

"Oh, shush." Tanya murmured.

"Well, what does Ultimate-sama have you doing that he can't trust the rest of us with?" Isamu asked, appearing a slight resentful. The other girl merely leaned back in her chair, waiting and listening.

Koruku parted his lips slightly, as though he was about to say something, but then Netto interrupted suddenly.

"Err…ah…Kor-Koruku? There's this-this girl clinging to my arm…"

The aforementioned man glanced down. There was indeed a girl clinging to his arm. She had no armor whatsoever; Koruku could see the bright yellow dress hanging off her little body. Her brown hair was similar to the uniform-clad female, and her eyes were as clear as crystal. She was smiling childishly.

"Cat…" The other girl muttered, shaking her head and rubbing her forehead.

Koruku frowned.

Cyber's personality had been damaged, sure, but the Navi's statistics said nothing about memory. Maybe personality was more general than he thought.

Within the Net, Netto was not alone. Two other Navis joined him, one male and the other female.

The male was exceptionally tall and inhumanely thin. Light blond tips brushed high shoulders, silver eyes displaying amusement behind transparent goggles.

The female was the exact replica of her creator, plum-colored hair and garnet eyes. Her jumpsuit was dark purple, and her helmet was the same color.

"Cat hath yearned for thou's presence, youthful sword wielder. I imagine she verily nearly deleted herself in discovery of your recent deletion." The female Navi commented, her smile wise and filled with ageless righteousness.

"She'd'a deleted 'erself fer sure. Ye lucky ya come back, or she'd'a been gone by ta'night." The male Navi drawled, agreeing in the most ungrammatically correct fashion.

"Err—who-who are—" Netto began, but he was cut off by a wave of the Victorian-speaking, female Navi's gloved hand.

"You are weary and your memory hath run thin, it seems. The Navi to my right hath been formally christened Cowboy—while he is not of Christian belief—and I, Raven." She bowed, and Netto was disturbed by the politeness.

"And I'm Cat!" The female clinging to his arm shrieked, her clear eyes sparkling.

"Uh-uh, hi," was all Netto could utter. Things were happening so fast that he did not have enough time to comprehend them.

"Well, now that we're all reacquainted…" The other girl, most likely Cat's Netbattler, murmured.

"Oh Naomi, don't be that way!" Cat whined, but she was quickly silenced by a stern glare from her Netbattler, Hida Naomi.

"Tell us, oh wise and worthy Namu, what is your assignment?" Naomi asked, looking back up, a smile worming up her small face. Her fingers formed into a steeple upon her lap.

Koruku continued to observe his Navi before slowly looking back up. His eyes were narrowed.

The people occupying the room waited for his answer eagerly.

"Infiltrate. Gather. And destroy."

--

"_Please_, sit, make yourself comfortable." Dr. Yamana pulled out a chair, still smiling ever-so-cheerfully. Rockman took a seat, studying Laika as he maneuvered around the table and stood in a corner across the room. Netto hurried up beside Rockman, placing a hand on his so-called brother's shoulder.

The tent was undecorated. It was warmed and lighted by nothing but the sunlight that shone brilliantly through the tan fabric. The only object in the space was the mahogany table Rockman was currently sitting at.

Dr. Yamana plopped down into a chair on the other side of the rectangular table. Meiru and Dekao had chosen to stay outside.

"You obviously have amnesia, as I'm lead to believe. Is what I have heard correct?" The doctor clasped his hands on the table, his air pleasant and calm.

"Yes." Rockman nodded stiffly. This man's manner was unnerving. How can one be _this_ constantly cheerful?

"And so you'd like to be informed on what our situation is." His expression displayed understanding, but for some reason, Rockman didn't trust him. The Navi, a now truly alive boy, did not answer, and so the doctor took this as agreement.

"Two years ago," Dr. Yamana began, "Dr. Hikari Yuuichirou, Wily, and Mikuro Tadao were working to create the perfect Navi. It was to be the most human-like, with combating capabilities much more superior than any other Navi ever designed. They spent months perfecting it, making sure all was ready and no mistakes would be left unchecked.

"When this Navi was finally completed, they dubbed it Rockman."

Rockman, whose eyes had been wandering around the tent, swiveled back to Yamana. They widened considerably though he said nothing.

Yamana continued. Between the two the silence seemed significant though it merely confused Netto.

"The great scientist Wily suggested giving Rockman to Yuuichirou's son, Hikari Netto, as a test," Yamana glanced over and found the aforementioned boy staring downwards.

"The experiment succeeded for about a month. The two became close, and Rockman learned to care deeply for Netto. It wasn't until the monster decided to show what its true intentions were all along that they had to rethink their little experiment." Yamana's voice grew somewhat gravely as he relayed the last sentence.

"It wasn't like that!" Netto cried suddenly. His hands were balled into fists, and he was shaking all over. His features were scrunched up in anger.

Rockman peered at the boy over his shoulder while the doctor followed suit, albeit more impassively.

"He was doing it for me! It wasn't his fault!" Netto's words came out choked and strained.

"Nevertheless, Rockman went out of control. He nearly killed another child. The boy is, even now, still in the hospital. It seems the perfect Navi is more of a killer than a boy's simple battle partner." Yamana's voice was bare of emotion, like the announcer of a very boring commercial that not even he cared much about.

"Shut up, you don't know anything about what happened! Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Netto screamed, spinning around and shooting off out of the tent.

Rockman twisted around in his chair and stared after the boy sadly. He glanced up at Laika who merely stared back, silent and emotionless.

"As I was saying," Rockman turned his attention back to the doctor who was smiling once more, "after that dreadful incident, the scientists agreed that it would be safer to—because deletion was nearly impossible due to perfection—lock him away in an area of cyberspace with no programming whatsoever, the equivalent of a black hole in outer space.

"As of late—shall we estimate about six months?—Rockman has broken free of his prison. He's destroyed most cities and killed millions. He has currently taken up residence in the remains of Densan City."

Rockman realized, after the pause, that Dr. Yamana was obviously finished with his explanation. The facts whirled about in his head, like leaves twirling in the air after a strong gust of wind. Everything made sense yet it didn't. Rockman… That was his name. He was Rockman. But not here, here he was Hikari Saito, son of Hikari Yuuichirou and brother of Netto. He ran his hand through his hair, peering down at his still-clutched PET. Gabba was watching, eyes narrowed and searching for Rockman's reaction. The boy nearly sighed and stood up, the chair scraping behind him.

"I'm going to go see if Netto's all right," was all Rockman had to say as he made his way towards the entrance. Laika's eyes still bored into the back of his head.

"Good, I didn't mean to cause such a fuss with my words. I was just retelling the dreadful thing, I'm glad I've got it off my chest, though." Yamana's smile was viewable in his mind's eye, so calm and so forever joyful.

"Yeah…" Rockman murmured, and he stepped out into the dim and miserable world.

Chaos stretched on for miles, smoke spiraled upwards like towers of darkness and woe. Rockman nodded to Meiru and Dekao as he passed. He'd have to survive this place, or he'd never find his way back home.


	9. Danger

Alright, chapter nine: completed. :D Yay! This didn't necessarily take as long to write as it did to type up, but, eh. Who's complainin'? I really don't have much to say other than:

**grandmaster p: **Ohmigosh, I didn't notice that! How perceptive of you! I totally forgot about that plot. Silly 'ol me, but that just furthers the whole 'alternate universe thing' in the story. :3

And, fwee! Cliffhanger! Enjoy! Oh, and there may be mistakes, but I'm too lazy to go back and fix them. So, I apologize for that.

-

**Chapter Nine: Disturbance in the Horizon**

Haruka stood, bundled up in a green wool blanket. Two police cars were parked in front of the house, and she watched the two men as they trudged their way up to her.

The sky above was stormy and bleak, the clouds appeared heavy, and the air tasted of cold water. Beside her stood her husband; Yuuichirou had an arm across her shoulders, and he was frowning in thought.

"Well, there's no sign of break in and no remains of a bomb." One of the officers claimed—whose name will be Joe for this occasion—taking off his cap and scratching at his hairline.

"The Navis didn't find any evidence that someone had tampered with the wires. So we don't know what could have caused it." The other policeman, Takashi, nodded, peering around the rather ordinary-looking neighborhood.

"Well, thank you for checking anyway." Yuuichirou thanked, though he seemed somewhat distracted while saying it.

"No prob, only doin' our job. You stay safe now, ma'am, be on the lookout for explodin' television sets." Joe placed his cap back on his head and tipped it slightly in farewell.

"Goodbye." Takashi waved, and the two headed towards their separate cars. (8D But they're so totally a couple—hah hah, just kiddin'.)

Yuuichirou hugged Haruka closer.

"Yuu-chan…" she began slowly, although she did not get a chance to voice her train of thought as her husband murmured, "Of course they wouldn't find any evidence, it most likely blew up with the television."

Haruka looked up at him, and he glanced at her.

"What's going on, Yuuichirou? What's happening?" She asked, pleading to understand the occurrences, the reasons for them, why her son and his Navi had disappeared so suddenly.

Yuuichirou squeezed her shoulder, "I don't know, but I'm going to find out."

--

He found Netto at the farthest corner of the campground, standing with his back turned to the world and completely silent.

Rockman took a hesitant step forward. What could he possibly say? Nothing. There was nothing that _could_ be said.

Classic materialized on Netto's shoulder, scowl on his face.

"Can't you respect someone's privacy? Leave!" Classic shooed, waving his hand in a dismissing gesture.

Rockman ignored this—he very much disliked his silver replacement in this alternate universe—and walked closer.

The boy didn't seem to notice his presence, and if he did, he pretended not to.

"Netto-kun?" Rockman whispered softly, hoping to grab the boy's attention. It worked.

Netto swung around, automatically jumping to the defense. He relaxed when he realized it was his brother.

"Are you…do you…" Rockman was at a loss for words. He usually knew what exactly to say to get Netto hyper and optimistic again, but this time he had nothing. No words of comfort came to mind so he just stood there, looking and feeling awkward.

"Let's go back, Meiru-chan and Dekao and me were supposed to go scouting." Netto's expression was by the shadow of his headband as he stared down at the ground.

Rockman merely nodded, not knowing what else to say.

The brown haired boy shuffled by, not looking up, and Classic watching Rockman haughtily as they passed.

-

Alternate Hikari Yuuichirou paced the computer room. The loud yells of the other scientists around him could not be dimmed by even the depths of his own mind.

He would _not_ let his son be used like a mouse in a maze. Just because Saito was special… his thoughts trailed off as he heard a door open.

Ijuuin Enzan stood in the doorway, his mouth set in a straight line. Nobody seemed to notice his entrance, and so the white haired boy made his way over.

"I'm guessing that a decision hasn't been made." Enzan remarked, shoving his hands into his pockets and looking around the room.

"No, it seems our opinions are divided." Yuuichirou sighed, slipping off his glasses and rubbing them against his sleeve.

"The government is a powerful contender indeed. I understand their concerns."

Those that didn't wish to go against the government's wishes stood on the other side of the room. They were scruffy and grumpy-looking, all of them. These scientists were mostly against confronting the government because they funded their research. A most selfish action, but nothing was honorable when it came to politics.

"Dr. Hikari, if I'm not being too inquisitive, what are they exactly planning to do to Saito-kun?" Enzan asked after a pause.

Yuuichirou slid his glass back onto his nose and sighed once more.

"They are supposedly researching Saito's biological structure, the way his DNA is different than everyone else's. Saito has always had something odd about him, how his molecules react to high voltage electricity, and how Netbattling weakens him greatly." The scientist gave Enzan a meaningful look, and the boy understood.

When Saito had been five years old and Netto four, (Eh, I can't remember if they were twins or not but in this universe, they're a year apart) Yuuichirou brought them to work for the very first time.

He showed them all sorts of technological objects, from computers to the early revisions of the hologram. Yuuichirou had been holding up little Netto to see into a glass encased testing room when young Saito's eyes had drifted towards the gargantuan computer in the middle of the room. He'd inched his way forward, and he was immediately drawn to the wires in the back. Little Saito began to play with them, and Yuuichirou ended up being too late as the child bit into them.

This let out a warning shock—created for purposes unknown—and Saito was promptly electrocuted. Oddly enough, however, instead of screaming, Saito's eyes had begun to glow, and he became deathly quiet. The computer started to malfunction, and Yuuichirou was able to get the boy away in time, with the expense of a lasting scar.

After rushing him to the hospital, they discovered that the electricity had set off something in his brain. It did nothing to the child, neither mentally or physically, but his DNA had been altered.

They never found out why.

"The government works fast; they will be here sooner than you think! They've got powerful weapons their side, power! How can we go against that?" One of the scientist who refused to go against the government exclaimed, angry and demanding.

Yuuichirou glanced toward them and looked back at Enzan.

"What can we do?" Yuuichirou shrugged helplessly. Enzan stared at him for a moment before smiling confidently.

"We'll fool them, of course."

-

There was nothing but wasteland. Miles after miles, stretching out like muddied sand paper. Piles of debris lie here and there, old and crumbling and charred.

Rockman could smell the rusted metal in the still air; it felt as if they were miles from the camp even though they'd been walking for but five minutes.

The sky was a half-dried, mud brown, no clouds were visible. The suffocating quiet was almost unbearable although the others did not seem to mind it.

"Where are we going, Netto-kun?" Rockman asked, feeling slightly foolish. He probably should know these things, as far as Netto, Meiru, and Dekao were concerned.

Netto glanced over to him, "To check on the Monitoring Pod."

"The what?"

Dekao, standing beside him, had his beady eyes trained on his black watch, which was beeping ever so softly. Meiru was looking around, searching for something.

"It's a machine that's got cameras and seismographs spread out everywhere. It's watching from Rockman's 'Robot Navis'." Netto halted as Dekao did, and they changed direction. Not a minute later, they paused again, but this time they stayed still.

Rockman watched as his once-operator kneeled down and began knocking against the ground. Dekao silently pulled out a device from his pocket and pushed a button.

A jet of soft blue light burst forth and scanned the barely visible footsteps they left behind. The light quickly disappeared and with it did the footprints. Rockman gasped and gaped. Amazing!

"Dekao, what was that—?"

"Shh!" Dekao shushed, placing a finger to his large lips. Rockman quickly complied.

The large boy pushed another button and a shimmering, transparent shield shot up around them. Rockman stared at it and reached out a hand, the shield was solid.

Dekao winked and flipped the device in the air, catching it with the same and winking.

"ADC: Advanced Cloaking Device. Since you don't remember."

"It's not very new, but it works all the same." Meiru gave Rockman a bright smile. Netto frowned slightly.

Scraping the dirt away a bit, the brown haired boy brought into view what looked like a dark blue switch. He flicked it, and the rest of the mud surrounding it dispersed to show a metal plate with a dark screen.

"On," Netto commanded gruffly, and the screen blinked to life.

"Password, please," the machine requested, its voice obviously mechanical.

Netto's face softened sadly as he spoke, "Rock."

Rockman jerked, surprised at the choice of password. Neither Dekao nor Meiru seemed to notice.

"Password accepted." The voice said, and on the screen appeared a lost of white, blocky text. Netto chose the one that said 'Area Scan'.

The picture blinked and another one replaced it. A colored map with several blinked icons appeared, Netto studied it seriously.

"What's that?" Rockman asked, interested by all this. It seemed that this universe was less Net-advanced and more appliance-advanced. Not saying his world was behind, it was just that they spent most of their time upgrading Navi things.

"Where the surveillance cameras are. Dr. Hikari and Meijin-san placed them in every human occupied place they could." Meiru explained, leaning over Netto's shoulder to watch.

"There hasn't been any attacks lately." Netto murmured, brown creased in thought.

"Odd," Meiru commented.

"Attacks?" Rockman questioned, knowing he was missing something.

"Rockman's Robot Navis have been attacking all the human settlements. He does it constantly and we're deployed to stop him." Netto looked up.

"What are 'Robot Navis'?" Rockman asked, still confused.

"Their mechanical forms of Navis, I guess that's the simplest way to say it. They're just like Navis but, life-sized." Meiru shrugged, scooting over to Rockman and weaving an arm around his waist. Rockman's eyes widened, very startled, and tried to inconspicuously inch away. He could see the scowl grow on Netto's face.

"Oh-oh, th-that must complicated things." Rockman said, trying to look away from both Meiru and Netto. He settled on staring at Dekao.

"Yeah, I guess." Dekao shrugged and pushed a button on the ADC. The film surrounding them faded and they were greeted with a gust of air.

Netto stood up stiffly, and Dekao pocketed the device.

"All right, let's go then!" Meiru cried cheerfully.

Dekao looked up into the horizon and placed a hand over his brow. "Wait…what's that?" he asked suddenly.

Netto turned bitterly from his glowering to look at what Dekao was. Something, several objects actually, seemed to stand still in the distances.

"I dunno." Netto remarked.

Rockman and Meiru stared at it too. For a second, nothing happened. Then, they realized the mysterious beings were heading towards them.

Netto squinted, and then he gasped.

The objects were army tanks.

And it seemed that they were their targets.


	10. Hit and Run Don't Fight For Fun

Um, here's chapter ten? This onetook a little while to write,but I'm pretty proud of it. Oh, and I once again, apologize forany mistakes you encounter.So,woo! Three cheers for Netto! Woo!

Enjoy! X3

-

**Chapter Ten: Round One**

There is nothing more irritating than a person that will just not shut up. They keep talking and talking about things you don't remotely care about, moaning and whining and laughing at stupid jokes that just aren't funny. And they actually think you're _interested_. It is often times like these when you wish you had a chainsaw and the authorization to cut their throats.

Enzan himself was experiencing this. Across the room sat the reason for his annoyance, complaining away about how he _still_ wasn't being paid enough or this. Enzan glanced up as he began to rant.

"And another thing! Watches are priceless; you can't just _sell_ them on the black-market. It's cruel and unusual!" Mikuro waved a fist.

He'd been talking to his fish for the last half hour. Enzan sighed and rubbed his face warily.

"I doubt _watches_ are going to help you much, Mikuro." Enzan remarked. He did not like this scientist at all, from his selfish, arrogant attitude to his eccentric obsessions. But he was the only one who could do this, the only one who knew how to bring Netto and Rockman back home.

Mikuro scowled as he wheeled around, "Your uninspiring commentary isn't helping much, you know! I need silence, me time! Where I can piece together dazzling thoughts and create wonders. You being here has squashed my inspiration, however. Don't you have any manners? Butting into a conversation, honestly…" He swung back to face the computer screen. Complicated readings littered it, and the boy could only guess what they actually meant.

How could his goldfish stand him?

"Enzan!" Dingo's voice was piercing in the stuffy quiet, and the aforementioned boy turned to look at the door.

He burst in with a loud bang. Enzan didn't panic, watching the Native boy tumble to the floor and lay sprawled there most clumsily. Whatever he came for probably wasn't that important anyway.

Dekao followed, sniggering away at Dingo, and Yaito poked her head into the room.

Mikuro glanced back and grumbled something about "annoying interruptions." Enzan inquired, "What are you all doing in here?"

"We're done. We've finished cleaning." Yaito answered curtly, frowning in Enzan's direction.

"Hmph, you say you're finished, do you? Well, I'll just have to see about that." Mikuro hopped up from his seat and begun making his way out the door. He ended up stepping on Dingo—who moaned in response—without even a glance. Yaito moved out of the doorway as he passed.

"Where's Meiru-chan?"

"She said she wanted to be alone," was Dingo's pain-filled reply. Dekao helped him up as the white haired boy decided to turn to the computer. He shuffled closer and peered at the screen. There was a scan being performed currently: fifty percent complete. Enzan knitted his brows in impatience. How long could finding Netto and Rockman take?

--

They were supposed to be infiltrating the Resistance's central headquarters, sucking their information dry and discovering their location. Easy, except the Resistance's security password would be hard to hack and obtain. Not so simple after all.

Netto observed his surroundings, like a darker and less pleasing Internet City, the untenanted buildings loomed over the milling citizens. Beside him stood Cowboy and Raven, gripping his shoulder was Cat. He'd never seen a place like this with full experience, it had always been observed through the PET.

"Ah…the exquisite structure of the Rockman Empire. I gaze in awe every occasion I am allowed. Absolute beauty…" Raven murmured, eyes sparkling and voice indeed sounding awed. Cowboy rolled his eyes long-sufferingly, "it's jus' a heap o' scrap me'al. Ain't no marvel. Wingless 'ere jus' up on 'er'elf 'cause she 'elped design it."

Netto was just barely able to decipher what he was saying. How could these Navis stand the way he talked?

"Clamp your mouth with a crab's guillotine, you illiterate oaf." Raven retorted, glaring. Cat was oblivious to this heated exchange and giggled, "Naomi said we could hang out before you went on your 'assignment'. So let's have fun, okay?" Netto only nodded. What else _could_ he do?

She dragged him along, past signs advertising the latest armor and upgrades, until they came upon a stadium.

Towering towards the digital sky, cheers could be heard through the thick walls, echoing with excited gusto.

"Ah, the battles of the Gladiators could have taken place in this very stadium! Look at its splendor, I gape with much amazement!" Raven outstretched her arm dramatically.

"Sketched ou' th' design 'n ever'thin'." Cowboy shook his head and yanked the female Navi towards the building. She scowled, but he just ignored it.

Netto was reminded of the N1 Grand Prix Net Battle Tournament. It was like remembering something fond, almost innocent. It made him think of how far he and Rockman had come. How they weren't just Net battling for fun anymore.

"It's so big, isn't it?" Cat's eyes continued to shine.

"Y-Yeah," He was disturbed by the Navis that waved to him. They found him familiar though it was not likewise. Netto was in quite an awkward situation.

The sign greeting them read: "Ultimate Dual Stadium!"

Netto didn't have a good feeling about this.

Inside, the stadium was jam-packed. Every seat was filled. Blimps with screens running commercials floated in circles overhead. Below was an arena, its floor made of dirt and sand with a white circle painted around the edge. It was empty at the moment.

All four of them inched along the stands, apologizing and excusing themselves the whole way, before finally plopping down into some spare seats near the front.

"Oh what joy, thou will be able to see the great dual! Oh what luck hath sanctified this very day." Raven commented excitedly.

"Yup," Cowboy nodded, studying everything.

"What kind of fighting do they do here?" Netto asked.

"They clean out the weaker ones, silly! Don't you remember? You're usually the star of the show!" Cat squealed, wriggling in her seat. She'd let go of his arm by now, and she spoke in her constantly bubbly tone, although the subject was anything but cheerful.

"Yes, you were indeed a valiant opponent: strong and swift, but kind to the very end." Raven nodded in accord. Netto would have loved to take this as a compliment, but then he remembered that they thought he was Cyber.

"Oh, oh, look! Look, it's starting!" Cat pointed wildly at the arena.

This was undeniably true. The lights were dimming, spotlights swiveled everywhere before joining and highlighting a Navi that stood in the middle of the pitch. He wore a top hat and a suit: The Announcer.

"Welcome to the Ultimate Dual Staaaaaadium!" His voice was sonorous yet loud, cheers arose as he spoke. Netto and the others clapped politely in response.

"Today we've got a _real_ exciting pick for you! Are you READY?" Shouts answered his energized query, the throng's feelings echoing his tone. Netto watched the man, some reason feeling uneasy.

"Then, in this corner, we have Topman.EXE!" An old Navi materialized next to The Announcer, looking as though he'd already lost the fight. He was shaking like a leaf. Netto frowned.

"Annnnnnnnnnd in the other corner: Darkman!" A joyous roar sounded, Navis pounded the stands with their feet.

Netto was not happy. Not happy at all. Neither was Cowboy by the way he muttered, "Ain't fair." And it wasn't, oh it wasn't. Topman looked as though he'd taken a beating beforehand. There was no fairness in this whatsoever. No one, including Raven and Cat, seemed to care however. Feverish excitement still reverberated through the round building.

"READY?"

"Ready!" Everybody screamed, except Netto and the goggled Navi.

"Hey, Cowboy, what do they do with the Navis that lose?" Netto whispered, leaning over. The Navi sat to his left, Raven beside him. She was nearly hopping up and down in her seat with anticipation.

"They delete 'em then trash their programmin'," Cowboy answered, watching as The Announcer counted down from ten, "accordin' to this, if ya lose, ya don't daserve ta be amongst th' ranks."

Netto felt queasy as the numbers were shouted around him.

"Five! Four! Three! Two! One! _Fight_!"

Darkman attacked first, lashing out with his signature move. Topman took it hard, with not time to react, and was thrown to the floor like a rag doll. He was given many more blows, and with each one, Netto could feel his anger igniting, hit by hit.

It wasn't long before Darkman stood before Topman's even more mangled body and taunted him with something, probably along the lines of, "You're finished."

"His moves are so fleet, he fights so well! Such power, such ability!" Raven crowed amidst the cheering.

Netto's eyes bore into Topman, and just as Darkman was about to finish him, Netto stood up and screamed.

"Stop!"

The crowd went dead silent. Darkman turned towards Netto's voice. The Announcer, out of breath, scrabbled onto the arena, "What's this? What's this interruption?" The Navi still held his undeterred enthusiasm.

The words flowed from his mouth before he knew what he was saying, "I'll fight you in his place!"

A whisper broke out in the crowd. They recognized Cyber and his ability to fight. Ooh, what a juicy turn of events this was turning out to be!

Raven, Cat, and Cowboy gawked at him. What was he doing?

The Announcer looked around at his advisers, and they just shrugged and nodded, "Well, why not! Cyber.EXE will take Topman's place—"

"But if I win, he's not to be deleted." Netto's eyes narrowed as he stormed down the narrow stairs and vaulted over the transparent, protective wall surrounding the stands. His mind was screaming for him to stop this madness but it was too late. He was already in the ring.

"So, little imp, why have you chosen such a foolish fate?" Darkman asked uninterestedly.

Netto snarled, "Because I can't stand Navis like you."

"So noble, but that's all you will be, deleted once more, and noble."

All Netto could hear were cheers as the bell dinged and the fight began.

--

The tanks were heading towards them, and they were gaining.

The four spun around and began to run. Rockman's hand gripped Meiru's wrist as she started to fall behind.

"Who's chasing us?" Netto screamed over the tank's loud engines.

"The government, those are their tanks!" Dekao yelled in reply. Rockman glanced back. He could see the symbol pressed onto the front of the hulls. Dekao was right.

"Sh-Shouldn't we stop? They could shoot us!" Meiru cried, panting.

This was true. Rockman doubted the people within the army tanks could tell if they were youths or not.

Dekao, Netto, and Rockman all agreed silently and slowed to a halt. They'd gotten pretty far but not close enough to get away. They waited fearfully as the tanks came upon them. They stopped, and a man hopped out. He wore an army uniform.

"Please mister, we're sorry, we were just—!" But Dekao sucked back in his words as a rifle was placed to his skull. They held up their hands and more men hurried towards them, carryings weapons and ushering them into the tanks. Meiru whimpered and glanced at Rockman who found himself unable to say anything to comfort her as he was prodded with the gun's barrel. He just eyed her. Whatever they were in trouble for, they'd find out soon.

He hoped anyway.

And, surely, Papa would be there to save them if they truly needed it.

He always was.


	11. And So Little Time

Ah-hah…heh. **–sweatdrops-** Yes, I know this is two weeks late. But we had a lot going on at school. And to make it worse, this chapter is extremely short. I think it's the shortest one I have written. Oh well, it's mostly build-up for the next chapters, anyway. I hope you enjoy what's here. Happy Reading! **–waves-**

-

**Chapter Eleven: So Much to Do**

Isamu frowned from where he perched, atop a moving lift. He'd been hopping them for the last half hour. Boredom was the answer to _that_ question. Now he stared at the PET's screen, he'd seen what had just occurred in the stadium. His first reaction had been to roll his eyes, but now he was frowning.

Cyber had just been brought back; he'd be most certainly unsteady on his feet. And Darkman was quite the formidable opponent. Cyber had fought him once before and barely won.

Isamu brought up Koruku's email address and waited with agitated patience for it to connect. After about a minute, the signal was found and a window displaying Koruku's shoulders and up appeared.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Have you checked on Cyber lately?" It was a valid question. And by the way Koruku's features remained calm, it was obvious he hadn't.

"No, I supposed he'd be fine enjoying himself." Koruku Namu replied, brows knitting at the question.

"Yes, well, I'd check up on him if I were you." Isamu suggested with a knowing nod.

The younger man gave him one last puzzled stare before blinking off of the screen.

Isamu leaned back against a crate and sighed.

Cyber was already in a pile of trouble, and the day hadn't even ended yet.

--

The building in which they were shoved was very official-looking. Cold and covered from ceiling to floor in tile, Rockman wondered if their designer had been a tasteless robot. Two tall men lead them by laser rifles down the hallway. People in suits passed hither and thither, quiet words exchanged as they met.

It was not a very exciting place to be, but the once-navi supposed it didn't really matter. They were being held at gunpoint, the scenery was probably a little less important.

Meiru whimpered quietly beside him, hand wrapped firmly around his arm. She watched everything, as if waiting for some new threat to jump out at them. Netto and Dekao were silent, but they both looked worried.

The small group arrived in a room with a long table and no windows. A good amount of people sat around it, prim and proper as ever one could be.

The four were forced to stand against a wall. Their guards hurriedly departed the room, and the door clicked shut behind them.

There was silence as the people, government officials supposedly, shuffled their papers and cleared their throats.

"Well?" The word blurted from Netto's mouth before he could stop it. His hands clasped themselves around his mouth in horror.

The officials gave Netto a disapproving look, and he shrunk back, scooting closer to Rockman.

"You," the man at the head of the long table pointed at the brothers, "are both of you sons of the respected scientist Hikari Yuuichirou?" Both glanced at each other and nodded.

"And the others, friends, I presume?"

Meiru and Dekao didn't say anything, looking slightly disgruntled that they were being called "just friends".

"Then, I have much to discuss. But before we begin, what were you children doing in the middle of nowhere?"

"We were just exploring, sir." Netto said quickly.

The man raised an eyebrow but said no more on the subject. He continued, "The Government and I have come to the conclusion that Dr. Hikari and his 'Resistance' have gone too far. We have been kindly funding their fight against…the nonexistent Robot Navi Rockman, but it has come to our attention that the resistance has been doing anything but. Why we believed such a story is unknown…"

"What are you talking about?" Netto once more blurted out; although this time he did not look ashamed for doing so.

"Now, young man, you must understand, we are merely looking out for the good of the country. And a falsely justified war created for the sake of money is just not doing it! We will hold you as hostages until Dr. Hikari chooses to shutdown his efforts. And, Saito," the man glanced over to Rockman who found himself beginning to sweat, "we have full permission as a government to begin tests on you."

"You can't do that!"

"Yeah, leave him alone!"

Both Netto and Dekao objected, but they were silenced by a stern glare.

"We will do as we wish. Take them away."

And before they knew it, the four were grabbed from behind and hauled out of the room, Rockman one way and his friends, another.

"Sai!" Netto screamed, trying to wriggle free. Rockman watched helplessly as his supposed brother was dragged from his vision.

Within minutes he was hurled into an unoccupied room and the door was slammed shut. Rockman collected himself off the floor and looked around him. All there was was a bed and a table. He sighed and flopped down onto the sheets. Placing the back of his hand over his eyes, he tried to think. What now? There was only one thing to do: Wait, and hope that Papa would reach them in time.

--

The room was still in an uproar; Alternate Yuuichirou paced the room furiously. Enzan was currently speaking with a few heralds somewhere across the room. His mind was a whirr, what to do, what to do?

"Dr. Hikari, we're all set." Enzan reported as he came upon the worried scientist.

Yuuichirou looked up and nodded. "Are you sure this will work?" He asked.

"If it doesn't, then your son will be left in the hands of the government, and that's not something I want to happen. Come on," he pulled out of his pocket some sort of device, "we have work to do."

--

Deguchi Goro moaned, rubbing his temples. He sat in a rather run-down chair, its padding worn and one of its legs missing. Drug was smoking on the floor next to him. Mik, sharpening his butcher knife on a piece of old metal.

They awaited orders from their Boss, a man who took time when it came to plans. Deguchi was far from patient anymore, it all had run thin. Why were they waiting around here in this piece of junk? He wanted that promotion _now_.

"'Ey, what's yer problem, Deguchi?" Drug inquired, looking up as he lit his cigarette and took a long drag.

"None of your business," Deguchi grumbled back. _This_ was why he was so impatient. Morons.

"Deguchi!" The booming cry startled them all, and the aforementioned man hurried to bring their boss onto the screen.

"There, that's better. I have finally sorted out the plan. A week from now you are going to break into Dr. Mikuro's home. Steal the Eradicate and kill whoever's inside. I don't want anyone alive that sees you."

"But boss…does it only have to be people that _see_ is?" Mik whined.

"YES!" Mik flinched involuntarily.

"I don't want too much blood spilt on our account just yet. Patience is the key in this sort of thing. Deguchi!"

"Yes, sir?" Deguchi spoke up quickly.

"Prepare yourselves, you have one week. That should be enough time to be ready." And then, the picture blinked off.

Deguchi sighed once more.

"Ye 'ere him? What's stuck up in 'is arse?" Drug took another drag.

"The boss isn't really that nice, is he?" Mik commented, placing his knife back on the floor.

Deguchi's eyes trailed towards the pane-less window placed crookedly on the wall. The trees swayed, it looked rather gusty.

In a week all their lives would change, for better or for worse it could not be certain. But Deguchi just knew he'd get that promotion. He just _had_ to.


End file.
